NGT Committee should ensure compliance of norms
| Date :02-May-2019 |
Staff Reporter:
RAIPUR;
In the capacity of environment conservation activist Nitin Singhvi has forwarded certain suggestions to the NGT State-level Committee on issues pertaining to garbage dumping yards at Sakri and Sarona, disposal of plastic carry-bags and catering wastes as well as some other pollution related issues. Singhvi has urged the state committee to ensure complete compliance of norms mentioned under Solid Waste Management rules. On the directive of National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench), a state level committee had been constituted for the implementation of provisions laid under Urban Solid Waste Management Rule, 2016 with Justice (Retd) Dhirendra Mishra as its Chairman.
Extending his suggestions, environmentalist Nitin Singhvi said Raipur Municipal Corporation has allotted 68 acre land in Sakri as trenching ground, to be filled through solid waste. Half of the land in Sakri comes within the 10 kms range of Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur. As per solid waste management rules, the portion which is coming under 10 kms of airport, cannot be allocated for filling with solid waste while for the remaining part, it is necessary to procure No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Director General Civil Aviation, Government of India.
He said the NOC which the RMC has procured was for establishing plant for disposal of solid waste and not as 64 acre trenching ground to be filled by garbage. It may be worth mentioning here that after land is filled through solid waste in trenching grounds, it is mandatory to manage the remaining solid waste, gases, etc for next 15 years.Singhvi further informed the Committee, that NGT has ordered compensation to the tune of Rs 5000 for lighting small garbage heap and Rs 25,000 compensation against lighting big garbage heap. It is also necessary to file complaint in the designate court under Environment Conservation Act. However, the officials of Environment Conservation Board forward the said complaints to RMC, which doesn’t have the authority to recover compensation.
Despite strict directives issued by National Green Tribunal banning completely manufacturing, import, sale and stocking of plastic carry bags, plastic catering materials including plates, glass, spoons, etc, all such activities are going on un-hindered in Chhattisgarh and no action is being taken by Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board. Regarding Sarona solid waste disposal ground, Nitin Singhvi complained that despite assurance given by Raipur Municipal Corporation to NGT (Bhopal Zone) regarding establishing power plant at Sarona where power would be generated through solid waste, no progress has been made in this direction yet. Still no centre has been established for collection of domestic hazard materials like batteries, electronic goods, tube-lights, CFL, etc. Despite RMC carrying out door-to-door collection of solid waste, it is not segregating dry and wet waste, which as per norms is mandatory.