Human waste from sky: NGT directs DGCA to issue circular

The National Green Tribunal today reiterated its earlier order directing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to issue a circular to all airlines operating at IGI airport here to ensure that they do not empty toilet tanks mid-air.
A bench headed by acting Chairperson Justice U D Salvi said that as per its December 20, 2016 order, the aviation regulator should inform all airlines that they will have to pay Rs 50,000 as environmental compensation for any violation.
The tribunal's direction came while disposing of a plea filed by Lt Gen (Retd) Satwant Singh Dahiya alleging that aircraft were dumping human waste from air before landing at the IGI Airport here.

The ex-army officer's had told the NGT that his South Delhi house was allegedly splattered with faeces before Diwali this year and the previous year.
"We dispose of this application with the reiteration of our December 20, 2016 order. The direction shall be complied without default," the bench said.
The green panel also directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to submit the analysis report of the excreta sample collected from the ex-army officer's house within four weeks and submit a copy to the applicant.

The tribunal had earlier constituted committee comprising representatives from the DGCA, Central Avian Research Institute and CPCB to collect samples from the house of Dahiya.

The committee members were directed to send the samples for tests to ascertain whether it was human or bird excreta.
The NGT had earlier directed the CPCB to take a clear stand whether it can differentiate between human excreta and bird poop.
Aviation regulator DGCA had maintained that it was impossible to dump human waste mid-air from aircraft toilet, and bird droppings had landed on the complainant's house, after which the green panel had ordered testing of the excreta samples.
The CPCB had said that there were traces of faecal coliform in the samples, indicating presence of human waste.
The tribunal had in 2016 held that if "any aircraft, airlines and the handling services of registered aircraft" were found to be dumping human waste from air or toilet tanks were found to have been emptied before landing, they shall be subjected to environmental compensation of Rs 50,000 per case of default.

The NGT had also asked the DGCA to carry out surprise inspection of aircraft landing at the airport to check that their toilet tanks are not empty while landing and prevent waste from being splashed over residential areas and any other place before landing.