law: National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995
  4. Application for claim for compensation
  (1) An application for claim for compensation
  
  may be made-
  (a) by 
  
  the person who has sustained the injury;
  (b) by 
  
  the owner of the property to which the damage has been caused;
  (c) where 
  
  death has resulted from the accident, by all or any of the legal
  
  representatives  of the deceased;
  (d) by 
  
  any agent duly authorized by such person or owner of such property or all or
  
  any of the legal representatives of the deceased, as the case may be;
  (e) by any
  
  representative body or organization, functioning in the field of environment
  
  and recognized in this behalf by the Central Government, under all or any of
  
  the heads specified in the Schedule; or
  (f) by 
  
  the Central Government or a State Government or a local authority under all or
  
  any of the heads specified in the Schedule;
  Provided that where all the legal
  
  representatives of the deceased have not joined in any such application for
  
  compensation, the application shall be made on behalf of or for the benefit of
  
  all the legal representatives of the deceased and the legal representatives who
  
  have not so joined shall be impleaded as respondents
  
  to the application.
  (2) The Tribunal may, if it thinks fit, take
  
  up the cases for claims for compensation suo  motu .
  (3) Any claimant making an application under
  
  sub-section (1) may also make an application before the Tribunal for such
  
  relief as is provided in the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991;
  Provided that no such application shall be made
  
  if the relief has been received by the claimant earlier or an application made
  
  by the claimant to the Collector under the said Act is pending and has not been
  
  withdrawn.
  (4) The Tribunal shall have, and exercise, the
  
  same jurisdiction, powers and authority in respect of the matters specified in
  
  the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 as the Collector has and may exercise
  
  and, for this purpose, the provisions of that Act shall have effect subject to
  
  the modification that the references therein to the Collector shall be construed
  
  as including a reference to the Tribunal.
  (5) Every application under sub-section (1)
  
  shall be made to the Tribunal and shall contain such particulars and shall be
  
  accompanied by such documents and such fee, not exceeding one thousand rupees,
  
  as may be prescribed;
  Provided that no fee shall be payable by a
  
  person whose annual income is below the prescribed limit or by a representative
  
  body or organization referred to in clause (e) of sub-section (1) or by the
  
  Central Government, a State Government or a local authority.
  (6) No application for compensation shall be
  
  entertained unless it is made within five years of the  
  
  occurrence of the accident.