NGT forms panel to inspect major waste generators in Delhi

The National Green Tribunal today constituted a committee to inspect major waste generators in the national capital including 5-star hotels, malls, hospitals, educational institutions with hostels and housing societies.
Noting that the problem of waste generation is being faced by the entire country and urgent steps were needed to be taken without "demur and default", the green panel directed the Delhi government to provide a list of all such establishments to be inspected by the committee within one week from today.
"In the event such establishments are found to be non-compliant, notice will be given to them as to why they be not directed to pay environmental compensation and also remedying and rectifying deficiency and defects," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The green body noted that Delhi generates nearly 14,100 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste per day and said that the mass generators of waste cannot be equated to a simple household generating trash.
It expressed concern that public authorities were lacking infrastructure and appropriate technical capacity to handle such huge quantity of waste.
"The mass generators of waste in NCT, Delhi cannot be equated to a simple household generating waste...5-star hotels, schools/colleges having hostels with large number of students, hospitals, hotels/restaurants, cooperative group housing societies, malls are much larger in size and cannot also be equated with the normal household-level generator of waste and sewage.

"Keeping this distinction in mind it is necessary for the tribunal to put these generators of mass municipal solid waste and sewage in a separate category in itself and ensure strict enforcement of the municipal solid wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, proper management and treatment of sewage with complete measures for recycling of treated sewage," the bench said.

The NGT constititued a committee comprising representatives of the ministries of Environment and Urban Development, Director General of Health Services, Medical Council of India, DDA, municipal corporations, the Delhi government, Central Pollution Control Board, railways and Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
The NGT directed the committee to inspect all five-star hotels, hospitals which have more than 200 beds, cooperative group housing societies with more than 300 flats, markets, shopping malls with built up area of more than 50,000 sq mts, colleges having hostel and accommodating of more than 500 students in entire Delhi.

"In addition to the committee, additional secretary of the Environment Ministry would be entitled to form different sub-committees from the members above who will visit different locations in Delhi where are the mass generator of waste are located and submit their report to the tribunal...
"The committee upon physical inspection shall submit its report as to the quantum of different kinds of waste generated by these waste generators. The waste would include municipal solid waste, inert waste, bio-medical waste, hazardous waste, dust and such other allied waste like ash etc. They shall also report as to how waste, so generated, is being processed and treated by them," the bench said.

The tribunal also ordered the panel to report whether these generators of waste have their own sewage treatment plants or not.
"In relation to hospitals particularly it will be opined as to manner in which bio-medical waste is being handled, and other factors prevailing in the hospital adverse to human health and environment. These directions are being issued in relation to these places, institutions, markets etc. at the first instance and they should not be read to construe, in any manner derogatory to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016," it said.