S.RAVINDRA BHAT, J. - (1.) Leave granted in SLP (C) Nos. 28178/2018, 1706/2019, Diary No. 19018 of 2018 and 1632 of 2019. With consent of counsel for the parties, they were tagged with the companion civil appeals and heard finally.
(2.) On 06 June, 2013, when Ms. Vishakha Wadekar, was driving her car with her young daughter, Sanskruti Wadekar she had no inkling that danger lurked round the corner of the highway; over-mining at the height of 75 x 30 ft, in Gut No. 112, resulted in the destruction of a small hill by the side of the national highway. The resultant debris and a part of the hill collapsed and slid down to the road, claiming the lives of Ms. Vishakha and her daughter. The directions made by the Pune bench of the National Green Tribunal, on an application by a registered organization, (the respondent in the appeal, the Aam Aadmi Lokmanch, hereafter "Lokmanch") are the subject matter of the appeals (CA 6932/2015 by NHAI; CA 5971/2019; CA 11803/2018 and CA 6862/2018) before this court. The other appeals by special leave question the judgments and orders of the Bombay High Court, which upheld the regulations framed pursuant to the order of the NGT. The High Court negatived the challenge to those regulations in the writ petitions presented before it.
(3.) The facts in brief are that the National Highways Authority of India (hereafter "NHAI") had entered into an agreement with M/s P.S. Toll Road (Pvt.) Ltd., a unit/undertaking of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. (which is arrayed as the ninth respondent; PS Toll Road (Pvt.) Ltd. hereafter referred to as "the concessionaire") on 10.03.2010 for the maintenance and operation of the Pune-Satara section of National Highway No. 4, to an extent of 140 kms. The scope of the agreement included construction of the project (i.e. the highway stretch) as well as its operation and maintenance for a period of 24 years. The agreement included stipulations mandating safety to the highway users (clause 18.1.1). The NHAI was duty bound to appoint experienced safety consultants for carrying out safety audits of Project Highways (clause 18.1.2), the expenditure for which was to be borne by the concessionaire (clause 18.1.3). An elaborate highway monitoring mechanism was also contemplated by the agreement (clause 19.1) through which by the seventh of each month, an independent engineer was to furnish a report after due inspection (of the operation and maintenance arrangements), containing defects or deficiencies (clauses 19.2). Additionally, the independent engineer was to require the concessionaire to carry out specified tests for confirming that the highway was operated in accordance with applicable standards (clause 19.3). Other stipulations included, inter alia, requirements that the concessionaire had to carry out remedial measures (Clause 19.4.1) within a period of 15 days after receipt of the report of the independent engineer. The concessionaire was put to terms in that if relevant repairs or remedial measures were not undertaken, the NHAI could recover damages in terms of Clause 17.8. [ In terms of Clause 19.4.2, the measure of damages which NHAI could recover was calculable in terms of each days delay in complying with the remedial measures suggested by the engineer, based on the "higher (a) 0.5% of the Average Daily Fee and (b) 0.1% of the cost of such repair or repair estimated by the Independent Engineer" The same clause (17.8.1) stated that: "Notwithstanding anything contained in this agreement, should the actual traffic exceed the design capacity during any year or part thereof and the Concessionaire fails to repair or rectify any defect or deficiency set forth in the Maintenance Requirements within the period specified therein, it shall be deemed to be in breach of this agreement and the Authority shall be entitled from such date to recover damages, to be calculated and paid for each day of the delay until the breach is cured, at the higher of (a) 5% (five percent) of Average daily fee and 1% (one percent) of the cost of such repair or rectification as estimated by the Independent Engineer, for the balance period of the concession. The recovery of such damages shall be without prejudice to the rights of the Authority under this agreement, including the right of termination thereof." Another obligation cast on the concessionaire was to send a periodic report of various occurrences, including "unusual occurrences on the Project Highway" such as death or injury to any person (clause 19.6), any obstruction, or "flooding of Project Highway". ];