CPCB rejects plea of Delhi civic bodies to waive off fine of Rs one cr each

Pollution watchdog CPCB has rejected the plea of the three municipal corporations of Delhi to waive off a fine of Rs one crore each imposed on them for failing to check open dumping and garbage burning and not complying with the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules.

The Central Pollution Control Board had rejected the MCD's request in a letter dated April 16.

In three separate letters to South, East and North Delhi Municipal Corporations last month, CPCB Chairman S P S Parihar has directed the local bodies to pay Rs one crore each with 12 per cent interest with effect from April 17 this year.

"Vide direction... on April 16, 2019, the CPCB informed that the application for waving off environmental compensation was not accepted and it was directed to deposit the EC with CPCB as proposed earlier. However no reply has been received from NDMC in this matter till date," the letter said.

Two similar letters with exact same directions were issued to South Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

The CPCB had in January this year imposed the Environmental Compensation (EC) on the three MCDs but a few days later the civic bodies wrote to the pollution control body to waive off the amount.

CPCB officials then visited the areas under the jurisdiction of these MCDs in April and observed that major fractions of the unsegregated municipal solid waste and plastic waste were being dumped on open land, 'dhalaos' and drains, the letter said.

"Activities like open burning of plastic and garbage, dumping of garbage and construction as well as demolition waste are still continuing," the CPCB said.

It noted that under South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), garbage and plastic was dumped and burnt in areas like Madangiri, Okhla and 'dhalaos' near Modi Mill.

The situation was the same in areas like Patparganj Industrial area, Jagatpuri and Anand Vihar Bus Stand under the jurisdiction of East MCD and in Wazirpur, Civil Lines and Shalimar Bagh under the North MCD, the pollution watchdog noted.