Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding dumping of garbage in forest area of Almora, Uttarakhand, 12/09/2018
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Jitender Yadav Vs. Union of India & Others dated 12/09/2018. In this application, direction has been sought to remove the waste, including plastic waste from the existing site which is in the forest area to any other suitable site as per Rules. The garbage, including nondegradable waste is being dumped at different places of City of Almora. The Municipal Committee, Almora in its reply has stated that proper waste disposal could not be arranged for want of fund. On 30.08.2016, the stand of the Municipality that steps were being taken to arrange waste disposal site by seeking forest clearance, was noted. On 24.01.2017, it was noted that the forest clearance has been granted for the site in question. Now it is stated that the DPR which was earlier prepared is being revised and the process of revision will be completed by the end of this month and the integrated waste processing facility project will commence as soon as the process of revision of DPR is completed.
NGT taking a serious view of the failure on the part of the Authorities in complying with the mandatory requirements of the statutory Rules, directs that the project of waste processing and treatment facility must now commence on or before 15.12.2018. This will be the responsibility of the Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development, State of Uttarakhand. NGT further directed Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to take steps to implement the requirement of Extended Producer’s Responsibility (EPR), in accordance with the provisions as contained in Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 as amended 2018.