Polluter Pays Principle

The Supreme Court set aside a nine-year-old NGT finding against Art of Living's World Culture Festival, holding that polluter-pays liability needs a proven polluter, not just a damaged floodplain.

The Supreme Court has upheld National Green Tribunal penalties on real estate developers and clarified that a polluter’s turnover can be considered when determining environmental damage compensation, reinforcing deterrence against large-scale ecological violations.

Polluters remain liable until ecological damage is fully reversed– Supreme Court enforces accountability in Vellore tannery pollution case