NGT asks HUDA official to appear for waste disposal violations

The National Green Tribunal today asked HUDA Administrator of Haryana's Panchkula district and the Deputy Commissioner of the municipal corporation of the area to appear before it on allegations that garbage is being dumped there in violation of municipal solid waste rules.
A bench headed by Justice U D Salvi passed the order after it was shown pictures of mounds of garbage heaped together at a temporary dump site by advocate Hemant Sarin.
Appearing on behalf of Residents Welfare Society of Panchkula, the lawyer alleged that such activity is in violation of the NGT's earlier order.
The tribunal after perusing the pictures observed that its earlier order had directed HUDA and the corporation to dump garbage at the temporary site with due precautions and appropriate measures in accordance with Municipal Solid Waste Management and Handling Rules, which were not being complied with in the instant situation.

The NGT in its order August 2, 2013, had also directed HUDA and the corporation to prepare the site properly with layers so as to prevent leaching and run-off of the water, so as to prevent ground water from being polluted. They were also directed to segregate bio-degradable and non bio-degradable waste.
The NGT had also directed composting and compacting of the waste by covering it with soil, mud layers and polythene and spraying of disinfectant.

Sarin, while showing the pictures, contended that none of the directions were being complied with and the garbage was lying clustered in open heaps. He sought that huge cost be imposed on the authorities.

The counsel for HUDA contended that they have been unable to cover the garbage with sand due to heavy rains as well as non-availability of sand due to ban on its mining.
The bench, however, said that "seasons will come and go" and the authorities should be "braced" for all situations.
It also noted that the mounds of garbage must have taken a lot of days to accumulate into such proportions.