Poop from sky: NGT slams DGCA over non-issuance of circular

The National Green Tribunal today took strong exception to the non-issuance of a circular by aviation regulator DGCA to the airlines and the ground handling services to stop release of waste from aircraft tanks while landing or anywhere near the IGI Airport terminals here.
A vacation bench headed by Justice Dalip Singh asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to immediately comply with the tribunal's December 20, 2016 order.
The NGT had asked the aviation watchdog to issue a circular making it clear that aircraft would be subjected to surprise inspection to see that human waste tanks were not empty.

During the proceedings today, the DGCA counsel said that they have already moved a plea for a review of the order.
The bench, however, said that the directions passed by the tribunal were "prima-facie only on principle of precautionary approach and they need to be complied with".
The NGT was hearing a plea of Lt Gen Satwant Singh Dahiya (retd), who has sought action against the airlines and levy of hefty fines on them for endangering the health of residents, terming their act as violation of the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.

The green body also directed Central Pollution Control Boardscientist R M Bhardwaj, who inspected the house of the army officer for taking samples of excreta, to appear before it on July 4 and explain at to why his initial affidavit was withheld from the tribunal.

The tribunal had last year held that if "any aircraft, airlines and the handling services of registered aircraft" were found to be dumping human waste in air or toilet tanks were found to have been emptied before landing, they shall be subjected to environmental compensation of Rs 50,000 per default.
It had also asked the DGCA to carry out surprise inspection of aircraft landing at the airport to ensure that their toilet tanks are not emptied while landing and waste splashed on residential areas and on any other place prior to landing.
It had sought a quarterly report on the issue.

"The record so collected shall be placed in the public domain. The DGCA shall provide helpline number telephone/ mobile of its officer at the airport where the person desirous of lodging complaint regarding such mischief in future can approach the authorities for appropriate reliefs," it had said.
This information shall be put in the public domain and public at large informed of all helpline numbers and emails IDs, the bench had said.