National Green Tribunal: In an application filed by law students seeking urgent intervention from NGT regarding the outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, a Division bench of Dinesh Kumar Singh, J., (Judicial Member) and Dr. Vijay Kulkarni (Expert Member), acknowledged the gravity of the situation and took cognizance of the potential environmental and health hazards arising from contaminated drinking water.
The applicants stated that the GBS outbreak resulted in 166 diagnosed cases, with five fatalities, 21 patients on ventilators, 61 in ICU, and 52 discharged. The applicants argued that the outbreak is directly linked to contaminated drinking water in several areas, including Kirkitwadi, Nanded, and Dhayari. It was stated that the water samples from these regions reportedly contained high levels of coliform bacteria and E. coli. The petitioners prayed for the following reliefs —
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Directions to respondent 1-Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to ensure the supply of safe and clean drinking water to all affected areas and conduct periodic water quality monitoring.
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Directions to the respondent 3-District Collector, respondent 4-MPCB, and respondent 6-Water Supply and Sanitation Department to identify and eliminate all sources of water contamination in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad to prevent the further spread of GBS.
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Directions to the respondent 6-Public Health Department, respondent 7-ICMR, and respondent 9-Ministry of Urban Development to provide immediate medical aid, treatment, and financial assistance to those affected by GBS.
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Directions to PMC and PCMC to assess and eliminate contamination in all wells under their jurisdiction through decontamination, sealing, and sustainable management.
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Holding the responsible authorities accountable under the “Polluter Pays” principle and imposing penalties for negligence leading to the outbreak.
Upon reviewing the averments in the application and the prima facie evidence presented, the NGT found that the matter raised serious environmental and public health concerns. The NGT admitted the application and issued the following directions —
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Directed the Registry to issue notice to PMC and PCMC, returnable within four weeks.
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Directed the PMC and PCMC to file affidavits disclosing the accuracy of the claims made in the petition and detailing the steps taken to address the GBS outbreak.
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Directed the applicants to serve copies of the application and annexures to PMC and PCMC within a week.
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Instructed the applicants to ensure service of notice to respondents through both physical means and available email communication.
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Listed the mater for further consideration on 16-04-2025.
[Rishan Sarode v. PMC, Original Application No. 31 of 2025 (WZ), Decided on 06-03-2025]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
Mr. Asim Sarode with Ms. Shriya Awale, Counsel for the Appellants
