The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has set up a State Monitoring Committee on Solid Waste Management. The committee will be headed by A.V. Ramakrishna Pillai, former judge of the Kerala High Court.
“The State-level committees will come into effect on February 15. It will replace the existing regional monitoring committees on solid waste management. The NGT has appointed such committees in 24 States,” P. Jyothimani, chairman of the Regional Monitoring Committee for Southern States, said here on Friday.
It is learnt that the NGT decision came after it found that the zone-wise regional committees were not yielding the expected results.
The tribunal also received reports that some State governments were not cooperating with the regional monitoring committees.
Panel structure
Stating that the structure of the State-level body will remain similar to the existing regional monitoring committee, Mr. Jyothimani pointed out that the State-level chairperson will be able to concentrate better on the implementation of municipal solid waste rules in each State.
“The chairperson and member-secretary of the committee could pass appropriate directives to the State government. If the directives are not implemented, the State committee could report it to the NGT that will pass judicial orders,” he said.
Besides a retired judge as its chairperson, the State Committee on Solid Waste Management will have secretaries of Municipal Administration, Urban Affairs, Health, Rural Affairs; member-secretary of the State Pollution Control Board and member of the Central Pollution Control Board as its members.
Report submission
The State committee has to submit its report to the apex committee every three months and once in six months before the NGT.
