The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday pulled up the Himachal Pradesh government for not filing satisfactory documents pertaining to compliance of solid waste management guidelines. The Tribunal directed the government to file a compliance reports within six months.
‘No annual report’
Dissatisfied over the State government’s inaction, a Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said: “The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has found you non-compliant. You have not even filed an annual report. If the environment is being damaged will you shut your eyes?”
Seeking information on steps taken by the State government to recover damages from violators, the Bench asked: “Tell us how many people have been prosecuted. Your hills, rivers everything is damaged and polluted. With this level of environmental degradation, what are the steps that you have taken?”
The green panel also asked the State government to consider declaring certain towns and cities as “model” ones and carry out compliance in a phased manner, if necessary. Shimla, Dharamshala and Mandi were suggested as the tentative ones which can be declared as “model” towns.
‘Recovering damage’
Directing the State government to present fresh action plans, the Bench said, “The action plan should be on the regime of monitoring and on the regime of recovering damages. The CPCB has laid down a scale… what are your scales of recovering damages?”
“Evolve an institutional mechanism by which monitoring can be done at the Chief Secretary level. Include the carrying capacity of Manali and Mcleodganj as well,” stated the Bench.
In the presence of the State’s Chief Secretary, the counsel appearing for the government submitted that out of approximately 200 garbage collection vehicles, 72 had been fitted with GPS trackers. Further, it was submitted that CCTVs had been installed near garbage dumps in Shimla.
Additionally, the State government said that each developmental block in the State has been directed to prepare their respective action plans.
In January, the NGT had directed the Chief Secretaries of all States to be present before the Tribunal, starting Tuesday, with records pertaining to compliance of solid waste management rules.