Concerned over the lack of action pertaining to the compliance of solid waste management across the country, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has summoned the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories from March 1 onwards.
A Bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel has directed the Chief Secretaries to be present before the tribunal with status reports of action taken and the subsequent measures to be adopted. The Bench said, “According to the World Bank, India’s daily waste generations will reach 3,77,000 tonnes by 2025. Unless the problem is tackled, its impact on health and lives of citizens can be devastating.” “It is high time stern measures are taken not only by those in charge of administering law themselves but also by educating and involving public at large,” the Bench said.
While the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir will be the first official to be present before the tribunal on March 1, The Bench has specified that all Chief Secretaries have to be present and the task cannot be delegated to other officers.
Special task force
Further, all States and union territories have been directed to constitute special task forces in every district, and Information Education and Communication (IEC) programmes have been suggested for public awareness.
“Such programmes can be successful if the network of legal services authorities and educational institutions at every level is involved. This is possible only if such instructions are issued on the administrative side by the National Legal Services Authority and Education Departments of the States,” the Bench said.
States have also been asked to display their progress reports on the websites of pollution control boards.
