Chief Secretary, Delhi may coordinate with all concerned authorities in Delhi so as to ensure improvement of operational efficiency of the current site. (Photo Credit: News Nation)
New Delhi:
The National Green Tribunal has directed Delhi's Chief Secretary to hold a meeting within two weeks with all the authorities concerned to ensure proper dumping of construction and debris (C&D) waste. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said capacity for processing of waste at other places needs to be adequately enhanced as Bhalswa landfill site has already crossed its capacity.
"To remedy the above undesirable situation, the Chief Secretary, Delhi may coordinate with all concerned authorities in Delhi so as to ensure improvement of operational efficiency of the current site as well as setting up of additional sites so as to ensure that C&D waste is not transferred to the Bhalswa landfill site. A fresh meeting be held for the purpose within two weeks," the bench said. The tribunal sought a further action taken report in the matter before September 9 through e-mail.
The tribunal warned that if there is no adequate compliance of law, it may take coercive measures including recovery of compensation from the Delhi government for its failure to uphold the rule of law resulting in continued damage to the environment and the public health. The NGT had earlier expressed surprise over an MLA approaching it on an environmental issue instead of heading to the authority concerned, saying it wondered "whether even an MLA has no trust and faith in the statutory authorities and is 'helpless' in making such authorities do their duty".
The green panel had said it was astonished that a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) had to approach the tribunal against the construction and debris waste stored, transported and distributed by IL&FS at Jahangirpuri here. Taking note of the legislator's plea, the tribunal asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to look into the matter, take appropriate action in accordance with law. Adarsh Nagar MLA Pawan Kumar Sharma had approached the tribunal against dumping of construction and debris waste at Jahangirpuri in north west Delhi. He alleged that in the process, tonnes of stones and cement blocks are crushed, the waste is put on the government land by encroachment and garbage dumps have been created, adversely affecting the environment.
