News Point: The residents of Noida Sector 137 are protesting against the garbage dumping in the neighbourhood that threatens serious health hazards.
A large number of residents living in the eight housing societies of Sector 137, Noida formed a human chain to protest garbage dumping in the neighbourhood. The residents had to take to streets after their repeated demand to stop garbage dumping in the area went unheard. The residents have now threatened to move to NGT (National Green Tribunal) over open garbage dump.
The official apathy has been dragging the issue for months despite of many RWAs (Resident Welfare Associations) agreeing to the suggestion of Noida Authority to bear the partial cost of purchasing compost biodegradable machine. All the complaints made to Noida Authority thus far have made no difference.
The Noida Authority had earlier proposed the scheme under which the Authority will bear 75% of the cost of the machine that would produce compost from biodegradable waste. The remaining cost will have to be borne by the respective RWAs.
The residents of the area complain that the dumpers are fetching the garbage from all across the city. Even the industrial waste from the nearby SEZ region is being dumped over here. It is thus slowly turning the locality into a Ghazipur landfill site kind of stinking place.
It is a serious health hazard for residents of the nearby housing societies and not only the ground water is being contaminated but the residents can not open their balconies due to stench.
The residents demand that the garbage dumping, a temporary arrangement made by Noida Authority, two years back, should be immediately shifted to the proposed solid waste cycling location at Astoli.
Independent study has pointed out that Noida’s 14 lakh population generates nearly 660 tones of waste daily. However, the 40-year-old city still does not have a landfill site to dispose its municipal solid waste, which instead is dumped on roadsides and in vacant spaces. The large chunk of this waste is, of late, being dumped along the Noida Expressway.
The residents of housing societies from Exotica Fresco, Paramount Floraville, Gulshan Vivante, Ajnara Daffodil, Paras Tierea and Purvanchal Royal Park took part in the protest. The local villagers are also supporting the move.
HO Katiyar, a senior citizen of the area says, “It is time for a collective action and unless we make our voices heard to the government and the authorities this place would not be worth living in the time to come. It seems the authorities have thus far not taken our requests on a priority basis.”
Gaurav Gupta, the founder President of resident association of Paras Tierea says he is happy for the fact that at least for the cause of healthy living the various societies of Noida Sector 137 came forward. We will take this fight forward till the issue is resolved.
“It is a welcome beginning. We have now realized that time has come to get out of our comfort zones for the sake of our healthy living and for the future of our children. The authorities have no choice but to listen to us and address our legitimate grievances,” says Gupta.
Raj Kumar Sharma, a resident of Supertech points out the plight of children of apartments who can not even move out in the society lawn due to stench. According to him, the representation to Noida Authority has not met with success and the parents are forced to keep children indoors to save them from polluted air.
“When we met the Noida Authority CEO we were told that the dumping would stop in the next one or two months. Now even after eight months of our meting they have not taken any step and now they are saying it will only be stopped as and when the officials make another arrangement. Nobody knows what is the deadline of this as and when arrangement,” says Sharma.
Vijay Rawat, another resident of Purvanchal Royal society has similar story to narrate. He asks when the Master Plan of the locality does not have any such dumping ground in the vicinity why are the officials forcing the residents to live with this unpleasant reality.
“When we bought the house here there was no such dumping ground in their scheme of things. This is like cheating with about 20,000 homebuyers spread over eight housing societies of the sector,” says Rawat.
Since the Noida Authority has failed to respond to the complaints of the residents, people hence formed today’s human chain to mark their protest. All eyes are now on the NGT to make a positive intervention. After all, the sector is a planned township project carved out by the Noida Authority and the residents have paid good amount to buy their apartments over here. Today, they get a feeling as if living in an illegal colony where the garbage and all sort of solid waste are arbitrarily being dumped.
By: Ravi Sinha
