The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

(1) This Act may be called the National Green Tribunal Act,2010. (2) It shall come into force on such date 1as the Central Government may, by notification in theOfficial Gazette, appoint.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-- (a) "accident" means an accident involving a fortuitous or sudden or unintended occurrencewhile handling any hazardous substance or equipment, or plant, or vehicle resulting in continuous orintermittent or repeated exposure to death, of, or, injury to, any person or damage to any property orenvironment but does not include an accident by reason only of war or civil disturbance; (b) "Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal; (c) "environment" includes water, air and land and the inter-relationship, which exists among andbetween water, air and land and human beings, other living creatures, plants, micro-organism andproperty; (d) "Expert Member" means a member of the Tribunal who, is appointed as such, and holdsqualifications specified in sub-section (2) of section 5, and, is not a Judicial Member; (e) "handling", in relation to any hazardous substance, means the manufacture, processing,treatment, package, storage, transportation, use, collection, destruction, conversion, offering for sale,transfer or the like of such hazardous substance; (f) "hazardous substance" means any substance or preparation which is defined as hazardoussubstance in the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), and exceeding such quantity asspecified or may be specified by the Central Government under the Public Liability Insurance Act,1991 (6 of 1991); (g) "injury" includes permanent, partial or total disablement or sickness resulting out of anaccident; (h) "Judicial Member" means a member of the Tribunal who is qualified to be appointed as suchunder sub-section (1) of section 5 and includes the Chairperson; (i) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette; (j) "person" includes-- (i) an individual, (ii) a Hindu undivided family, (iii) a company, (iv) a firm, (v) an association of persons or a body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, (vi) trustee of a trust, (vii) a local authority, and (viii) every artificial juridical person, not falling within any of the preceding sub-clauses; (k) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (l) "Schedule" means Schedules I, II and III appended to this Act; (m) "substantial question relating to environment' shall include an instance where,-- (i) there is a direct violation of a specific statutory environmental obligation by a person bywhich,-- (A) the community at large other than an individual or group of individuals is affected orlikely to be affected by the environmental consequences; or (B) the gravity of damage to the environment or property is substantial; or (C) the damage to public health is broadly measurable; (ii) the environmental consequences relate to a specific activity or a point source of pollution; (n) "Tribunal" means the National Green Tribunal established under section 3; (o) "workman" has the meaning assigned to it in the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923 (8 of1923). (2) The words and expressions used in this Act but not defined herein and defined in the Water(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (6 of 1974), the Water (Prevention and Control ofPollution) Cess Act, 1977 (36 of 1977), the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (69 of 1980), the Air(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 (14 of 1981), the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986(29 of 1986), the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 (6 of 1991) and the Biological Diversity Act, 2002(18 of 2003) and other Acts relating to environment shall have the meaning, respectively, assigned tothem in those Acts.

The Central Government shall, by notification, establish, with effectfrom such date as may be specified therein, a Tribunal to be known as the National Green Tribunal toexercise the jurisdiction, powers and authority conferred on such Tribunal by or under this Act.

(1) The Tribunal shall consist of-- (a) a full time Chairperson; (b) not less than ten but subject to maximum of twenty full time Judicial Members as the CentralGovernment may, from time to time, notify; (c) not less than ten but subject to maximum of twenty full time Expert Members, as the CentralGovernment may, from time to time, notify. (2) The Chairperson of the Tribunal may, if considered necessary, invite any one or more personhaving specialised knowledge and experience in a particular case before the Tribunal to assist theTribunal in that case. (3) The Central Government may, by notification, specify the ordinary place or places of sitting ofthe Tribunal, and the territorial jurisdiction falling under each such place of sitting. (4) The Central Government may, in consultation with the Chairperson of the Tribunal, make rulesregulating generally the practices and procedure of the Tribunal including-- (a) the rules as to the persons who shall be entitled to appear before the Tribunal; (b) the rules as to the procedure for hearing applications and appeals and other matters [includingthe circuit procedure for hearing at a place other than the ordinary place of its sitting falling within thejurisdiction referred to in sub-section (3)], pertaining to the applications and appeals; (c) the minimum number of Members who shall hear the applications and appeals in respect ofany class or classes of applications and appeals: Provided that the number of Expert Members shall, in hearing an application or appeal, be equalto the number of Judicial Members hearing such application or appeal; (d) rules relating to transfer of cases by the Chairperson from one place of sitting (including theordinary place of sitting) to other place of sitting.

(1) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as the Chairperson or Judicial Member of the Tribunalunless he is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court of India or Chief Justice of a High Court: Provided that a person who is or has been a Judge of the High Court shall also be qualified to beappointed as a Judicial Member. (2) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as an Expert Member, unless he,-- (a) has a degree in Master of Science (in physical sciences or life sciences) with a Doctoratedegree or Master of Engineering or Master of Technology and has an experience of fifteen years inthe relevant field including five years practical experience in the field of environment and forests(including pollution control, hazardous substance management, environment impact assessment,climate change management, biological diversity management and forest conservation) in a reputedNational level institution; or (b) has administrative experience of fifteen years including experience of five years in dealingwith environmental matters in the Central or a State Government or in a reputed National or Statelevel institution. (3) The Chairperson, Judicial Member and Expert Member of the Tribunal shall not hold any otheroffice during their tenure as such. (4) The Chairperson and other Judicial and Expert Members shall not, for a period of two years fromthe date on which they cease to hold office, accept any employment in, or connected with themanagement or administration of, any person who has been a party to a proceeding before the Tribunalunder this Act: Provided that nothing contained in this section shall apply to any employment under the CentralGovernment or a State Government or local authority or in any statutory authority or any corporationestablished by or under any Central, State or Provincial Act or a Government company as defined insection 617 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956).