Solid waster disposal: NGT chides MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan

BHOPAL: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has rapped three states of MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan for poor municipal solid waste (MSW) management and lack of priority to issue. The green panel has also slammed the civic body for its failure to shift Bhanpur dumping site to a new landfill site despite almost a year of the case.

The NGT bench comprising judicial member Justice Dalip Singh and expert member P S Rao sought explanation from all three states on action taken by them after Union ministry of urban development (MoUD) issued advisories in October 2013 indicating technical options for MSW management and thereafter a task force on waste management was brought out by Planning Commission.

Planning Commission, meanwhile, submitted that none of the state governments even sought any additional assistance under any of projects for overcoming problem of pollution created as a result of generation of huge quantity of MSW and poor disposal due to lack of funds.

On shifting of landfill site, NGT bench sought reply from Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) as to why Bhanpur site has not yet been shifted to Adampur Chawni to which BMC replied that it would take another six months.

Petitioner Subhash C Pandey showed photographs of present status of the site, which showed it was in still the same condition 11 month after the case was admitted to NGT. Urban administration and development department (UADD) and BMC got into disagreement about scientific closure status of the landfill site.

The NGT sought replies from three states on whether all municipalities have been provided with the land for establishing landfill sites and whether municipalities have approached SEIAAs and PCBs for requisite environmental clearance (EC) in accordance with the rules.

During course of hearing NGT bench observed that unless MSW issue was taken up seriously and proactively how could Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) objective be achieved as disposal of garbage and solid waste are major problems in the country.

Rajasthan government stated as all officers of related departments were engaged in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, more time is needed for submitting compliance report. The bench extended time till November 10.