Srinagar: Dumping site at Achan continues to adversely impact environment because of inaction on the part of State, National Green Tribunal has said and has warned the government against delay in decision on setting up of the maiden waste-to-energy power plant in Jammu and Kashmir.
“In this matter the State of Jammu and Kashmir had taken numerous adjournments, in fact years, to finalise the tenders for establishment of waste to energy plant. We are informed that they are awaiting approval of the Cabinet, otherwise it has already been approved by all the agencies and instrumentalities in the State,” said a bench of NGT headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar and also comprising Justice Raghuvendra S. Rathore (judicial member) and Dr. Nagin Nanda (expert member), added.
“We make it clear that if the final decision is not taken by the State Government before the next date of hearing (on October 4), it will be liable to pay exemplary cost for taking unjustifiable adjournment before us in a matter which is of great public importance, as it is the first Waste to Energy Plant to be established in the State of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Bench said, underlining that plant is to be located in the city of Srinagar which is generating huge quantity of municipal and other wastes.
“The wastes collected is not only the one generated in the city of Srinagar, but even from the surrounding areas’ and it is being dumped at a place which is causing serious environmental pollution, pollution to groundwater by leachates and water bodies like Dal Lake and its various segments.”
It said the people of the city, particularly the residents of nearby villages have a right for decent environment which is being “degrading continuously, affecting public health and adverse environmental impact because of inaction on the part of the State.”
“We are informed that nearly 450 MT of waste per day is being generated. To us it appears that this would convert the most beautiful city of our country into a waste dump deposit centre. We have been granting adjournment to the State of (J&K), considering that the State will take effective steps, but we are now realizing that for all this time the Tribunal had been passing various directions which still remain to be complied with and there is a need for expeditious action on the part of the State,” the NGT added.
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