JUDGMENT

Raghvendra Singh Chauhan, CJ. - With consent of the learned counsel for the parties, this appeal is being decided at the admission stage.

2. The appellant had challenged the legality of the order dated 04.01.2021, passed by the learned Single Judge, in a batch of writ petitions, whereby the learned Single Judge has dismissed the writ petition filed by the appellant namely, Writ Petition (M/S) No. 1506 of 2020.

3. Briefly, the facts of the case are that the appellant had challenged the legality of the order dated 05.08.2020, passed by the Uttarakhand State Pollution Control Board, ('the Board', for short), whereby the Board had imposed an environmental compensation to the tune of Rs. 37,31,250/- upon the appellant. According to the appellant the said order had been passed without giving any prior notice, and without giving any opportunity of hearing to it. In fact, the said impugned order had been passed ostensibly on the ground that certain directions had been issued by the Principal Bench, National Green Tribunal (for short the "NGT"). According to the appellant, the NGT had issued directions to the Central Pollution Control Board, and to the State Pollution Control Board to