The Punjab government has opposed any relief to a Ludhiana-based dyeing unit accused of polluting local water bodies, informing the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the unit remains shut as it has failed to pay the ₹6.3 lakh environmental compensation imposed under the “Polluter Pays” principle. Consequently, the environmental remediation plan ordered by the Tribunal cannot be implemented, it said.The Punjab government informed the National Green Tribunal that the unit remains shut as it has failed to pay the ₹6.3 lakh environmental compensation imposed under the “Polluter Pays” principle.The case stems from complaints by residents of Meharban village, who alleged that untreated industrial effluent discharged by M/s Bharti Scientific Dyers contaminated nearby water bodies. While disposing of the application filed in April 2025, the NGT held that environmental violations had been established through a joint committee report and directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to assess and recover environmental compensation.In an affidavit filed before the NGT’s principal bench on Thursday, the department of science, technology and environment said the PPCB imposed ₹6.3 lakh environmental compensation for violations of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.The PPCB, through directions issued on January 30, 2026, prohibited the unit from operating until it obtained fresh statutory consents under the Water and Air Acts. The government said the unit has remained closed since then and has not deposited the compensation.The state submitted that the remediation plan prepared by the PPCB, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Ludhiana district administration cannot be implemented until the compensation is recovered.The affidavit was filed in response to the unit’s plea seeking waiver of the compensation on grounds of financial distress and permission to resume operations for one year.However, the NGT granted limited relief, directing the unit to deposit ₹1.4 lakh with the PPCB within a month and allowing a temporary 15-day consent to operate to verify the functioning of its effluent treatment plant and compliance with environmental norms. The Tribunal also directed the PPCB to submit a compliance report after the inspection.