Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (September 21, 2022)

Ghazipur dumpsites

Measures taken by the Brihanmumbai municipal corporation of Greater Mumbai to prevent fire at dumpsites could be replicated and adopted at Delhi’s Ghazipur dumpsites, noted a joint committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The tribunal constituted the committee after taking suo motu note of a news report published on website News 18.

The dumpsite at Ghazipur, spread over 28 hectares, has been used for dumping municipal solid waste since 1984, stated the report submitted August 21, 2022.

Its height in July 2019 was around 65 metres. The legacy waste dumped at the site was 14 million tonnes and approximately 2,300 tonnes per day of fresh solid waste is dumped daily at the site.

DK Singh, one of the members of the joint committee team, visited the Gorai and Deonar dumpsites in Mumbai May 5-6, 2022.

The committee also put forward certain suggestions to prevent fire incidents in future:

• Perforated high-density polyethylene pipes or of any other suitable material may be provided at the dumpsite at suitable locations with proper spacing for the release of methane generated from a dumpsite
• Declare the entire dumpsite as a ‘No Smoking Zone’ and ‘Match-Box Free Zone’
• Increase the number of tankers for sprinkling water to control dust and fire
• Deploy adequate heavy machinery for dousing fires
• Construct roads on the periphery of the dumpsite to facilitate the movement of vehicles, patrolling teams and fire tenders
• Adequate number of CCTV cameras should be installed in consultation with Delhi Police and Delhi Disaster Management Authority at suitable locations covering vulnerable spots for fire
• Regular plantation activities should be undertaken over the capped area

Violation of CRZ norms

The allocated plot for constructing an Anganwadi in Shirki Gram Panchayat in Maharashtra’s Raigad district falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone-I (CRZ), stated a joint committee constituted by the NGT.

The tribunal constituted the committee in response to a petition submitted in May this year.

The Gram Panchayat had started the construction without obtaining permission from Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and violated CRZ notification 2011, the committee stated in its report September 21, 2022. CRZ-I falls within 50 meters of the high-tide line. 

Chikkanagamangala waste plant

Bengaluru municipal corporation has requested the NGT to withdraw the suo motu case filed against it based on a news article published in daily Bangalore Mirror.

The Chikkanagamangala waste processing plant, which is close to Electronic City, has implemented a variety of measures to prevent soil, water and air pollution, stated the local body September 21.

The NGT had earlier served a notice to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s member secretary.

Borewell water samples from the neighbouring villages adjacent to plants have been tested and the parameters are found to be within the permissible limits, according to the BBMP.