NGT seeks report on plea alleging discharge of untreated sewage in Gurugram

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said condonation by the statutory authorities of such discharge of untreated sewage and dumping of unsegregated wastes by locals in open areas is against Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.The green panel formed a joint Committee comprising Secretary, Urban DevelopmentLocal Bodies, Haryana, Municipal Corporation, Gurugram and Haryana State PCB to ascertain the factual position and furnish its report within two months from today.

The National Green Tribunal Tuesday formed a committee and directed it to submit a report on a plea alleging failure of the statutory authorities from stopping discharge of untreated sewage and dumping of unsegregated waste in open in Sector 111, Gurugram, Haryana. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said condonation by the statutory authorities of such discharge of untreated sewage and dumping of unsegregated wastes by locals in open areas is against Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

The green panel formed a joint Committee comprising Secretary, Urban Development/Local Bodies, Haryana, Municipal Corporation, Gurugram and Haryana State PCB to ascertain the factual position and furnish its report within two months from today. ''The State PCB will be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance. First meeting of the joint Committee may be held within two weeks from today. The Committee may visit the site and interact with the stakeholders. The Committee will be at liberty to take assistance from any other expert/institution. Based on the facts found, the statutory regulators may take remedial measures, following due process of law,'' the bench said.

The report may mention the status of sewerage management system as well as status of day-to-day collection of solid waste from Chandan Vihar and other similar 'unauthorised' colonies, remedial measures including channeling of sewage with a conveyance system, solid waste collection and transportation to waste processing site, the tribunal said.

The NGT said considering the onset of monsoon, to prevent vector borne diseases, like dengue, it has to be ensured that the sewage water and solid waste is not flooded on roads and littered around. There is also a need to ensure an effective public redressal mechanism, it added.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Gurugram resident Himanshu Juneja against failure of the statutory authorities from stopping discharge of untreated sewage and dumping of unsegregated waste in open in Sector 111, Gurugram, Haryana. According to the applicant, untreated sewage and waste are being disposed of in the open in the complex of Diplomatic Greens, Sector-111, Gurugram, Haryana by the residents of unauthorized colony Chandan Vihar, Village Chauma, Gurugram adversely affecting the environment and public health in the area.