Over two years after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a Rs 20 billion fine on Punjab for inadequate waste management, the state has reported an expenditure of Rs 7.2 billion towards addressing the issue. Despite this investment, significant gaps persist in both solid and liquid waste treatment across the state.

In its March 26 orders, the NGT emphasised the necessity for Punjab to comply with the Environment Protection Rules and the Supreme Court's directives on environmental safeguards. The tribunal's assessment revealed that approximately 4.775 million metric tonnes (LMT) of legacy waste remain unprocessed. Notably, the municipal corporations of Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar collectively account for 40.23 LMT of this backlog.

Furthermore, the NGT highlighted a shortfall of 765 tonnes per day (TPD) in wet waste processing and a 383 TPD gap in dry waste management. Regarding liquid waste, Punjab generates an estimated 2,219.19 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage, yet the existing treatment capacity stands at 1,983.99 MLD across 150 sewage treatment plants, indicating a treatment deficit of 235.2 MLD.

The tribunal has directed the Punjab Chief Secretary to submit a comprehensive action-taken report addressing these deficiencies. This report is to be filed via affidavit through e-filing at least one week before the next scheduled hearing.