New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi government to check indiscriminate dumping of garbage in the capital as it adversely impacts public health in particular and the environment in general.
A bench headed by tribunal chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar asked the counsel appearing for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to take clear instructions whether the landfill sites were working as per the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000.
The green panel expressed concern over the fact that despite its directions given in 2015, the authorities have not taken concrete steps to reduce the dumped waste at the landfill sites.
“We direct the National Capital Territory of Delhi to take clear instructions as to providing guidelines, finalisation and other requirements in consonance with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 to ensure that no waste is lying or spread in various part of Delhi impacting the public health as well as the environment,” the bench said.
During the hearing, the counsel for East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) said that despite the direction of the tribunal to the Delhi chief secretary to hold a meeting regarding all the sanitary landfill sites, the government has taken no specific steps. The matter is fixed for hearing on September 19.
The NGT had earlier rapped the government and the civic bodies over their “blame game” for reduction and recycling of the municipal solid waste, which had led to the recent Ghazipur landfill collapse.
Irked with the approach of the authorities, the green panel had directed the EDMC to immediately start the work of “segregation, compaction, and bio-remediation of the municipal solid waste” with the help of the Delhi government.
As per official sources, a total number of 17 complaints of harassment of subordinate officers by senior police officers during the past three years and this year (up to June 30) were received. Upon receiving them, the police officers conducted a initial inquiry into such complaints and found that allegations were not substantiated in as many as 15 complaints.
