The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up the Gurugram Municipal Corporation for failing to scientifically dispose of municipal solid waste.
Directing the State Chief Secretary to take action against erring officers, a Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said: “This is a classic instance of incapacity, incompetence and unwillingness of the Municipal Corporation, Gurugram, to perform its duty to handle solid waste in a scientific manner”.
Stating that inaction on the part of authorities has had an adverse impact on public health, the Bench added: “The contractor to whom the work is assigned is not performing the job... the result is damage to public health. Question is how the local authorities is to be made accountable for protection of environment.”
The directions came on a plea alleging that solid waster was being dumped in a forest area.
A Central Pollution Control Board report dated March 1 stated that “adequate steps have not been taken to deal with the matter [handling solid waste in a scientific manner]”. The report also stated that there was “huge accumulated legacy waste and there was no time targeted plan to take remedial measures”.
Noting that no penal action has been taken despite poor air quality in the city, the Bench stated: “The sorry state of affairs requires emergency measures at the highest level of the State. Actions must include prompt steps to deal with the situation. Punitive action must be taken against officers failing to handle the situation.”
Disciplinary action
Directing the State’s top bureaucrat to take action, the Bench said: “The Chief Secretary will be at liberty to take disciplinary action as well as prosecution of all concerned and furnish an action taken report in the matter. It will also be open to stop salary of officers who are not able to perform or to replace officers with more competent officers who can deliver on the ground level.”
“These directions have become necessary to protect public health, which is under serious threat on account of failure of the administration,” the Bench added.