NGT Orders Compensation for Kullu Trout Farmer
In a significant step toward environmental accountability, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has awarded ₹47.14 lakh in compensation to Kushal Gupta, owner of the Himalayan Trout Fish Farm in Kullu. His livelihood was devastated when muck and debris from bridge construction over Haripur Nallah polluted the stream, killing thousands of trout and destroying fish eggs downstream.
The judgment, delivered by a Bench led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson) and expert member A. Senthil Vel, held the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (HPPWD) and its contractor responsible for violating the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Rejecting objections over limitation, the Tribunal clarified that Gupta’s plea was filed within the permissible period, factoring in delays from earlier High Court proceedings and Covid-related extensions granted by the Supreme Court.
The ruling leaned on inspection reports from the Fisheries Department, Revenue authorities, gram panchayat, and the state Pollution Control Board—all of which confirmed the environmental damage caused by the construction activity.
