Madan Lal vs. Ministry of External Affairs & Ors., Original Application No. 15/2014/EZ (India)

The applicant sued over severe pollution of the Churni River, which caused a large fish kill and made the water unsuitable for irrigation and bathing. He asked the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for directions requiring the Ministry of External Affairs to initiate a dialogue with the Government of Bangladesh regarding pollution emanating from factories in Bangladesh. During consideration of the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs reported that it had raised the issue of transboundary pollution before the Government of Bangladesh. It had instructed the High Commission of India in Dhaka to raise the issue of pollution of the Churni River continuously. As part of that dialogue, the Government of India had offered to pay for an effluent treatment plant at Churni River. After considering the report from the Ministry of External Affairs, the NGT reminded the national government that the constitution obliged it to make the environment pollution free. The NGT closed the matter by directing the Ministry of External Affairs to continue negotiating with the Government of Bangladesh on setting up an effluent treatment plant funded by India.