The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday came down heavily on the Delhi government for not taking immediate and appropriate steps to take preventive measures to stop fires at the Ghazipur landfill site.
A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said: “What are the steps that you have taken to ensure that there are no further fires at the landfill site and what has been done to reduce its height?”
Preventive measures
The counsel appearing for the Delhi government stated that there were certain preventive measures like restriction of unauthorised people within the landfill site, in order to ensure that there were no further disasters.
“In order to ensure that there are no further disasters, the entry of unwarranted people within the landfill site has to be regulated. It has to be ensured that there are no objects like lighters and matchsticks being kept behind by these people,” said the counsel appearing for the state government.
The counsel appearing for the East Delhi Municipal Corporation told the NGT that they were in talks with IIT-Delhi with regard to stabilisation of the waste.
Further, the counsel said that the only way in which the mountain could be cleared is, if there is a capping done on the waste which is being dumped.
“It is very difficult to reduce the height if there is continuous dumping of live waste at the site. We had submitted in 2004 that the site had been saturated already. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had initially lifted some unsegregated waste which could not be used. Now they have re-floated the tenders” said the EDMC counsel.
The Bench directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to provide a list of sites which can be used as an alternative so that there could be decentralisation of waste collection and management. Rapping the authorities, the green court said, “It is a pathetic situation that you are doing to Delhi. You are making life hell for the people.”
Compensation
Hinting at the possibility that compensation might be drawn from the salaries of all the officials involved, the Bench said, “We are amazed to see how you keep taking more time without realising that people are dying because of this. Nothing more shameful can happen. If you don’t follow the directions then all the commissioners and the Chief Secretary will have to be present in open court and face the public.”
The matter was being heard after the NGT had directed the State chief secretary, to hold a meeting with all the officials concerned with regard to the actions to be taken.
