NEW DELHI: Noting “definite negligence” and “intentional lack of will” on the part of all authorities, the National Green Tribunal today imposed a cost of Rs 5 lakh on the Railways for

failure to keep tracks and platforms in New Delhi clean. Besides the Railways, the green panel also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and

North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). “We are satisfied that concerned authorities are at fault. If the railway authorities have engaged contractors for cleaning of tracks and platforms,

one fails to understand as to why the railways failed to discharge even the supervisory function… There is a definite negligence on the part of all the authorities…If railway tracks within

after holding an enquiry,” a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said. The green panel also directed the authorities to ensure that no municipal solid waste is dumped or

thrown on the railway tracks and reiterated that the Railway was empowered to impose a fine of Rs 5,000 on anyone found littering on tracks and platforms. The Tribunal also directed

Railways, NDMC and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to place dustbins at all appropriate places as earmarked by the local commissioner. It also warned the authorities that if

they fail to ensure cleanliness on the railway property in future, the bench would resort to more “coercive” measures. “We will burden you with one lakh of fine per day. We are of the view

that taxpayers’ money should not be spent for default of the public servants,” it said. The Tribunal’s directions came after perusing a report filed by an advocate who had inspected the

stretch from New Delhi Railway via Sadar Bazar, Subzi Mandi, Azadpur and Adarsh Nagar. The report has highlighted alleged deficiencies on the part of concerned authorities and claimed piles

of garbage was found across different stretches in the national capital.