Ghazipur collapse: NGT issues notices to civic body, state and DDA

Days after a huge portion of the 50-metre-high Ghazipur landfill collapsed, killing two persons, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday issued showcause notices to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

Stating that there could be nothing more humiliating than people being killed under a"garbage hill", the green tribunal asked the agencies to explain why punitive action should not be not taken against them. It also asked all the municipal corporations to submit an action plan, citing immediate steps being taken to restore the landfill as well as other such sites in the city within a week.

The next hearing in the matter is due on September 12.

The panel raised questions including "why did you not carry out the directions of the tribunal, which have been issued time and again? Are people of Delhi expected to meet this fate? Are they supposed to die under a garbage dump? We had asked you to reduce the height of the dump and take appropriate measures for reduction of the waste.Why didn't you do it?"

The tribunal further stated that the municipal corporations violated the court orders regarding reduction of the waste mounds and "collective" measures to ensure that the waste was processed, segregated, and compressed with immediate effect.

"Why should the tribunal not award compensation to the families of persons who died as a result of this unfortunate incident, which resulted from the sheer negligence of authorities?"the court asked. The green panel also issued notice to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), asking why it has not started lifting segregated waste, despite specific directions being given to it.

Meanwhile, East Corporation lawyer Balendu Shekhar told the tribunal that they have already filed a petition in the court, asking that land be allotted to them to develop sanitary landfill sites (SLFs).

"The government had promised the land in 2000. But, for some reason, we have not received anything so far. There was an immediate requirement of land as the Ghazipur landfill site had exhausted its dumping limit long ago,"Shekhar said.

The DDA was also issued a notice and asked to explain why appropriate sites have not been given to the corporations to dump solid waste.

...& ANALYSIS

• It is high time that the authorities concerned are taken to task regarding their casual attitude towards the monumental issue of waste management in the Capital.
   
• Besides, citizens must also do their bit to ensure that waste is properly segregated and recycled at the household level.