Despite the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banning burning of waste in the open in the National Capital Region earlier this year, waste is openly dumped and burnt in the city. The NGT had also announced a fine of Rs.5,000 on anyone caught burning dry leaves, plastic, rubber or any other waste material in NCR.
However, with Diwali approaching fast, burning of waste in scrap markets across the city is also on the rise.
“Burning of waste including tyres, tubes and plastic has become a routine affair in scrap markets across the city, with just 10 days to go for Diwali. Clouds of black smoke could be seen rising in these markets at Chakkarpur and Nathupur here. It is adds to pollution, making life miserable for the citizens. However, no action has been taken by the administration,” said citizen activist Ruchika Sethi, who has been running the campaign “Why Waste Your Waste”.
In October last, officials from the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) had issued directions “to ensure that no MSW [Municipal Solid Waste] or horticulture waste is disposed of in an open area and burnt by any agency, as this leads to serious health consequences and also violates environmental/municipal laws”.
Despite this, several contractors in HUDA sectors, licensed colonies and industrial areas are openly flouting the directions. A large illegal dumping ground, almost a mini-landfill site, has come up just across the road from Nirvana Country boundary on Golf Course Extension road. Similar illegal dumping and burning sites have mushroomed across the city in MCG, HUDA and licensed areas, and most of the burning is done at night to evade action from the authorities, the locals said.
Speaking to The Hindu , Deputy Commissioner T. L. Satyaprakash said these were isolated incidents and no organised burning of waste was being done in the city. He added that while there was a regulatory framework in place, it is difficult to control such incidents.
“Such incidents can be stopped only by active participation of society. The people should stop others from burning the waste in the open,” said Mr. Satyaprakash.
MCG Commissioner Vikas Gupta said there was lack of manpower and intelligence to control incidents of open burning of waste. He conceded that no action was taken against these violations.
“There is urgent need to launch a mass awareness campaign through signages, notice boards ,circulars, print media and radio to clearly state that burning of waste is a punishable offence. Also some green belts and public parks should be designated for composting techniques wherein the green waste from private colonies or common areas can be dumped for processing. We also need to review the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority conditions of the existing private colonies and institutions which are mandated under the licensing condition to manage and process the bio degradable waste within their premises and not throw and dispose the waste outside of their complex,” said Ms. Sethi.
