The State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC) on Solid Waste Management is likely to submit a report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) stating that the removal of debris from the apartment demolition sites at Maradu is being done without fully complying with the provisions under the Environment (Protection) Amendment Rules, 2018.
The report will be filed before the tribunal in two days. It will have the key observation that the Maradu municipality and the contractors engaged in the process of debris removal have not complied with the rules prescribed under the Environment (Protection) Amendment Rules that came into effect from January 25, 2018.
The amended rules had laid out clear guidelines for the implementation of dust mitigation measures for construction and demolition activities for projects requiring environmental clearance, according to people close to the development.
The committee will include the action-taken report filed by the State Pollution Control Board on the debris removal and dust management at the sites. It is learnt that the SLMC has taken serious note of the failure of the authorities in setting up a covering of metal barriers (35-metre height) around all the demolition sites till the debris removal process is over. It had also recommended that water sprinklers be used for dust separation instead of using hoses.
Those responsible had also failed to set up a notice board at the sites explaining the remedial measures being taken in view of the debris removal for the welfare of the public. The amended environment protection rules insist that dust mitigation measures must be displayed prominently at the construction site for the public to view it.
The board report had cited that the contractors were ensuring the removal of the demolition waste in covered vehicles. The process of wetting the roads through which the vehicles carrying waste was plying was also taking place as per the directions given, it said.
However, the report recalled that the Maradu municipality authorities were yet to comply with the direction to install CCTVs at all strategic points at the demolition sites for effective monitoring. The civic body authorities informed that they had ensured the presence of adequate personnel to keep a watch on vehicle movement. But the technical committee members said that they had not seen any presence of personnel during their visits to the sites twice.
