NHRC seeks report on garbage dumps

National Human Rights Commission today sought reports from the Centre, Delhi Government and three MCDs in connection with alleged environmental threat due to garbage dumps in the national capital.
The notices were served to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi and Commissioners of all the three Municipal Corporations in Delhi calling for reports within four weeks, a release by NHRC said.
The notices were issued after the Commission took suo moto cognizance of a media report on the landfills' threat to environmental health in Delhi.
According to the media report, the three garbage dumps at Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalaswa in the National Capital Territory are monstrous trash mountains including hazardous waste causing grave threat to the environment.

"Recyclable waste is getting mixed with the organic waste leading to contamination of the ground water and air in the surrounding areas of these sites. Rag pickers roaming in these landfills are contracting various diseases.
"The Corporations in Delhi have given no thought to manage them, nor the Delhi Pollution Control Committee is taking steps to check the pollution," the statement said.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report are disturbing and if true, raise a serious issue of human rights violation.