Illegal Dumping of Garbage: SMC imposes Rs 1 lac fine on tipper driver

Srinagar, Apr 13: Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Wednesday imposed a fine of Rs one lac on one person for illegally unloading and dumping heaps of garbage on the banks of Doodh Ganga flood channel and Pantha Chowk -Batamaloo Byepass road.
The person has been identified as Parvez Ahmad Ganai, son of Ali Mohammad Ganai of Boniyar Baramulla, who is driver and Owner of Tipper bearing registration number JK02AC-3649.
“For the last few months it was observed that heavy loads of garbage was illegally unloaded and dumped by some unscrupulous elements on the banks of Doodh Ganga flood channel, Panthachowk-Batmaloo Bye Pass Road especially in the Nowgam stretch, interior city such as Tengpora, Rawalpora, Sanat Nagar, Barzulla Bridge, Mehjoor Nagar,” SMC said in a statement.
This illegal dumping of huge waste has badly deteriorated the environment of the city, said Commissioner SMC Athar Amir Khan.
He said the Corporation was closely keeping an eye and working to nab out such miscreants who does this damage to the environment and push city to extreme insanitary conditions.
“On 1/1/2022 at around 10:42 PM in one of the operations, a tipper bearing registration number JK02AC-3649 was caught red handed while unloading a tipper full of loads of garbage at Rawalpora near Govt. School. However, the tipper driver forcibly with the help of some unknown persons managed to flee from the spot.”
The Corporation while acting on a tip off, on 18/3/2022 at around 11 PM the tipper was again caught unloading bulk of garbage at Barzulla near bridge. The tipper was managed to be seized and taken into the custody by the Corporation, the statement said, adding that it was found that the tipper was working with one M/S. Buhroo Trading Corporation, which is under service contract to Station HQ, Old Airfield, Rangreth and the waste collected from the Station HQ is being dumped within the territorial jurisdiction of Corporation in crude manner and in a brazen violation of environmental laws and rules.
Vide order dated 8/3/2022 in an OA No. 241/2021 titled Raja Muzaffar Bhat v/s Union of India & others, the National Green Tribunal, authorized UT authorities to impose costs on polluters, the statement said, adding that the illegal dumping of waste is also a grave offence under SWM Rules, 2016 and J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000.
Vide a representation submitted by the defaulter and received under receipt No. 2871 dated 30/3/2022, confessing to the offence and apologized for the act now, therefore, consequent upon the order dated 8/3/2022 in an OA No. 241/2021 issued by Hon’ble Tribunal and the authority of imposing costs on the polluters given to the State/UT thereunder, and as confessed to the offence a fine to the tune of Rs. 1.00 lac (Rupees one lac only) has been imposed on the defaulter for the above said illegal acts, to be deposited in the Municipal Chest within a period of 10 days, it said, adding that the Solid Waste Management Officer, SMC has been asked to release the vehicle in question on the production of the GR of the said amount by the above owner/driver of the tipper.