Use cracker unit's penalty to heal Harda: NGT

BHOPAL:

National Green Tribunal

, central zone, has directed that Rs 20 lakh

penalty paid

by a banned cracker manufacturing unit should be used to improve the environment in Madhya Pradesh's Harda. Blasts in a firecracker factory rocked Harda on Feb 6, killing 13 people and injuring 215.
NGT

was hearing a petition filed by P G Najpande, who said that manufacture and sale of crackers was rampant despite a Supreme Court ban in 2021 and subsequently by the green tribunal.

Massive amounts of 'sutli bomb' were recovered from the Harda factory godown.
The tribunal formed a committee to monitor expenditure of this amount.