EDMC moves NGT for allotment of land to handle waste

East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) today moved the National Green Tribunal seeking allotment of land to develop sanitary landfills to handle 2300 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste daily.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to the all the parties in the case and asked the Environment Ministry to clarify its stand before July 24, the next date of hearing.
The NGT had last year asked the EDMC to approach a high- powered expert committee, set up to look into the working of the waste-to-energy plants in Delhi, for allotment of land.
The plea, filed through advocate Balendu Shekhar, said that as per NGT's last year direction, the civic body had approached the expert committee for allotment of land.

However, the committee was of the view that a Principle Committee, constituted by NGT, was the appropriate forum and had specific mandate regarding matters related to construction on Yamuna floodplains, it said.
"Being aggrieved due to decision of High Level Committee, a letter was written to the Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources by the Commissioner EDMC for consideration to the proposal.

"After discussion by Commissioner EDMC, Chairman of the Principle Committee fixed a meeting. However, he later cancelled the meeting telephonically and directed to seek specific orders from NGT," the plea said.
In its plea filed in NGT, the EDMC said there was an immediate requirement of alternate land as the Ghazipur landfill site which handles 13 million tonnes (MT) of waste has outlived its normal life span.

"Due to non-availability of alternate land, garbage is continuously being added there though the same has already become 45 metres high i.E. Double than the desired height of 20 metres.
"To avert the existing crisis, EDMC has been relentlessly pursuing all authorities concerned as well as courts of law for several decades asking them to hand over any suitable site for developing it as Sanitary Landfill site," it said.
The EDMC lawyer said the Ghazipur site has "alarmingly" exceeded the saturation limit and the gases emanating from the garbage site was continuously degrading air quality and causing harm to the residents living around the area.

"The closure of the existing Ghazipur site is an earnest need of the hour and that can only happen if any other alternative site is developed as new SLF site in accordance with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and other MSW processing facilities," he said.
The plea said that Supreme Court and Delhi High Court had earlier issued direction to various authorities to hand over suitable site for the purpose of developing "Sanitary Land Fill" site as well as "Compost/Processing Plants" of municipal solid waste generated in the capital.
"That after the incessant pursuance and follow-up by EDMC and two other corporations, Delhi Development Authority has intended to offer 150 acres of land for developing SLF and other MSW processing facilities. The said land falls along Pushta Road from Shastri Park crossing to Khajoori Khas crossing," it said while seeking land.