NGT asks EDMC to approach expert panel for allotment of land

The National Green Tribunal today directed East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to approach a high powered expert committee for its plea 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 asked EDMC to move before the expert panel with its prayer and said it would pass orders after taking into account their recommendation.
The expert committee was constituted by NGT on December 2 to look into the working of waste-to-energy plants in the national capital.
The direction came on the plea filed by EDMC which said there was an immediate requirement of alternate land as Ghazipur landfill site which handles 13 million tonnes (MT) of waste has outlived its normal life span.

"Due to non-availability of alternate land, the garbage is continuously being added there though the same has already become 45 meters height i.E. Double than the desired height of 20 meters.
"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.

Advocate Balendu Shekhar, appearing for EDMC, said the Ghazipur site has "alarmingly" exceeded saturation limit and the gases emanating from the garbage site is continuously degrading the 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.