Mubashir Alam Wani
Srinagar, May 22: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), India’s environmental court, has formed a high-level committee to investigate the garbage dumping crisis at Achan in Srinagar. This decision follows a petition by RTI activist Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, who highlighted the unscientific disposal of waste, which resulted in foul odours and health issues for nearby residents.
According to a recent NGT order, the committee must file a report within eight weeks. Raja Muzaffar’s petition pointed out regulatory violations and non-compliance with environmental norms at the landfill site.
The committee, led by the Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), is tasked with determining the “correct factual situation” at the site. The order states: “To ascertain the correct factual situation, we constitute a Joint Committee comprising the representative of the Member Secretary, CPCB, the representative of the National Wetland Committee, MoEF & CC, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, and Member Secretary, J&K PCC. The Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar will act as the nodal agency.”
In his application, Bhat highlighted that nearly 450 metric tons of waste are dumped daily at the landfill site, which is located near residential areas and covers 75 acres. He said that improper waste management poses health risks.
Raja’s grievance specifies that the waste dumping at the landfill site violates the Solid Waste Management Rule, 2016; the timeline set in the Action Plan for Municipal Solid Waste Management Jammu and Kashmir, 2018; Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016; and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The NGT has instructed the Joint Committee to visit the site, assess the pollution and health hazards caused by illegal dumping, and propose remedial measures, including the establishment of waste processing facilities to minimise landfill use. The committee is to submit its findings to the Tribunal within eight weeks, preferably in a searchable PDF format.
“The Joint Committee will visit the site, ascertain the correct ground position and the extent of pollution caused by the illegal dumping at the landfill site in question, the consequential health hazard created by it, and also suggest remedial measures, including setting up waste processing facilities to zero down landfill use and submit the report before the Tribunal within eight weeks,” the NGT order states.
Expressing concerns over the improper handling of municipal solid, biomedical, and plastic waste at the site, Raja Muzaffar said there is a need for immediate and effective remedial action. “The NGT’s directive aims to address these concerns by thoroughly investigating the situation and recommending sustainable waste management solutions. I am hopeful that there will be some positive development on it,” he said.
