NHRC takes up environmental hazard of Delhi garbage dumps

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Wednesday issued notice to the central and Delhi governments and three civic agencies on the environmental hazards emnating from three landfill sites in the capital.

"Taking suo motu cognizance of a media report on the landfills' threat to environmental health, notices have been issued notices to the secretary, union ministry of environment and forests, chief secretary, government of Delhi and commissioners of all three municipal corporations," said the NHRC in a statement.

It observed that the contents of the press report are "disturbing" and raised a serious issue of "human rights violation".

The NHRC states that the media report highlights that the three garbage dumps at Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalaswa are monstrous trash mountains with hazardous waste causing grave threat to the environment.

Along with the effect on environment, the dumps also pose health hazards to the rag pickers roaming in these landfills.

The commission has given four weeks time to reply to the notices.