Panchkula waste dumping in Jhuriwala violates green norms: NGT

The National Green Court (NGT) expressed concern about the garbage that has been accumulating in Jhuriwala village and Sector 23 and the response of the Panchkula administration to relocate the garbage from Sector 23 and Jhuriwala dumping grounds as unsatisfactory.

The NGT bench, consisting of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Sudhir Agarwal, noted that the decision by the Panchkula and Kalka Pinjore Municipal Corporations to transport waste to Ambala is not a long-term sustainable solution and may lead to mismanagement.

The court ordered the Chief Secretary of Haryana to prepare an effective roadmap to handle the situation in mission mode, taking into account the environment and public health, and personally review the progress made in this matter.

The NGT had requested a status report on the steps taken in the matter in its order of January 21, 2022, related to the dumping of garbage in an unscientific manner on the land allocated for the Solid Waste Management Project in the village from Jhuriwala, which is only 140 meters from the Khol Hi-Raitan Wildlife Sanctuary.

According to the applicant, Sanjay Kumar, the site itself is a big ask. The NGT had ordered the Panchkula and Kalka Municipal Corporations to pay compensation of Rs 10 crore in this case, of which Rs 1 crore would be spent on restoration.

Panchkula garbage dumping violates environment

In a report submitted on November 15, 2022, the designated committee on the matter accepted that the rules had been violated at the site and suggested the necessary steps for the restoration of the environment. The court accepted the report and directed that further action be taken.

The Commissioner of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation submitted a report on May 2, 2023, stating that the corporation has deposited the compensation amount and efforts to implement the suggestions have been initiated.

The court has ordered the competent authorities to present a report on the progress in the treatment of waste accumulated over the years, the operation of the Waste to Energy plant and the measures adopted in this regard.

Reports suggest that the site still has 3.5 lakh metric tons of old waste, which will be removed by December 2023. The court has urged the authorities to handle the situation in mission mode, keeping in mind the environment and the public health.

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