News Point: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today gave its final order and completely banned dumping of municipal waste in Noida Sector 138A.
The NGT in its final order in the case of Gaurav Choudhury & others versus Noida Authority & others has completely banned dumping of municipal waste in Noida Sector 138A. The NGT has also directed Noida Authority to henceforth dump municipal waste only in its designated site in Sector 123.
The NGT order also directs the Noida Authority to clear up municipal waste from Sector 138A. It has ordered the Noida civic administration to set up waste to energy plant in Sector 123 within six months.
In a significant judgment that could have far reaching implications for the future garbage disposal in the city, the apex green tribunal has also directed the housing societies of Noida to set up waste segregation plant within the apartment complex.
The order has come in the wake of a journalist Gaurav Choudhury moving to NGT against the illegal dump yard in the neighbourhood of residential areas closer to Noida Sector 137 and the adjoining villages. The residents of the area were protesting against the unauthorized dump yard in the neighbourhood. They had only recently formed a human chain as a mark of protest against the dump yard.
“The issue pertained to the illegal dumping of solid municipal waste at Sector 138 A, Noida. It was our case that the Site was not marked to be a dump yard site and hence the dumping of waste was illegal. In the reply filed by Noida Authority, they admitted before the Hon’ble Tribunal that the Site was not an earmarked site; rather it was being temporarily used to store solid municipal waste. On hearing both the parties, the Hon’ble Tribunal rightly held that there shall be no further dumping of waste onto Sector 138A, Noida. Today, the Hon’ble Tribunal while disposing of the matter directed amongst other things that the land at Sector 138A, Noida must be cleared of the garbage that was stored, within a reasonable period of time. We are glad that the Hon’ble Tribunal disposed of the matter expeditiously in favour of the residents,” said Ms. Sabah Iqbal Siddiqui, lawyer for applicant, Gaurav Choudhury.
The residents of the area alleged that the dump yard was a cause of air pollution in the neighbourhood and a potential health hazard. On the allegation of the dump yard being a potential cause of ground water contamination in the region, Noida Authority tried best to explain that it has conducted a study for the same and taken all the necessary steps. However, it failed to substantiate its claims and the NGT was not impressed with the defence of the Authority.
The NGT judgment has come as a big relief to the residents of eight housing societies of Noida Sector 137. They had for long been protesting against the dump yard and demanding its removal from the neighbourhood. They have now welcomed the NGT order and promised to keep a vigil over the compliance of the order.
“Last time when the NGT had given an interim order, the Noida Authority was still dumping the garbage on this plot. I feel now the onus is also on the residents of the area to keep vigil to ensure the compliance of the NGT order. If there is any deviation and we find garbage still being dumped, we will bring it to the notice of the tribunal,” said Gaurav Gupta, a resident of Paras Tierea.
By: Ravi Sinha
