New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has sought a response within five weeks from authorities, including the Central Pollution Control Board and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, on the fire incident at the Ghazipur landfill site last month. The tribunal was hearing the matter after taking suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report regarding the massive fire at the landfill in East Delhi on April 21. A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member A Senthil Vel said the news report raised a “substantial issue” relating to compliance with environmental norms.
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It said a similar blaze had occurred at the site in 2022 and the tribunal in January of the next year levied an environmental compensation of Rs 900 crore on the Delhi government, besides issuing directions for taking remedial measures.
The bench had last year observed that the Delhi government and its authorities did not follow even minimum standards to prevent fires.
In an order passed on April 29, the tribunal said, “In spite of the aforesaid order, there is no improvement in the situation and such fire incidents at landfill sites are still taking place.” It impleaded as respondents or parties in the matter the member secretaries of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Central Pollution Control Board, the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the District Magistrate of East Delhi.
The tribunal said,
Having regard to the issue involved in the matter, we direct all the respondents to file their report or response within five weeks.
The tribunal noted the submission of the DPCC’s counsel that the committee did not have the power to impose environmental compensation because of an amendment in the Environment (Protection) Act. It said,
Let notice be issued to the CPCB for examining the issue of levy of environmental compensation on continuous violation on the persons or authority responsible for the same and also to submit the report before the tribunal within five weeks.
The matter has been posted on August 6 for further proceedings.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
