CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has fixed January 9 to take stock of the action taken by authorities regarding complying with orders issued earlier for removal of legacy waste left dumped for the past 10 to 15 years in Bargarh town.
NGT’s east zone bench in Kolkata was hearing a petition filed by Ramakanta Rout and six other residents of Purushotam Nagar in Ward no 15 of Bargarh municipality, seeking criminal proceedings against the authorities for non-compliance of orders the tribunal had issued on March 23, 2023.
The delay in remediation of legacy waste dumpsites had resulted in huge damage to the environment and posed health hazards for the people in the vicinity of such dump sites, the petition contended. Advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy represented the petitioners.
During the last hearing on October 30, the tribunal took on record the affidavit filed by Bargarh collector Aditya Goyal on behalf of the state government. It also took note of the Bargarh municipality’s failure to file a proper affidavit.
The bench comprising Arun Kumar Tyagi (judicial member) and Ishwar Singh (expert member) said, “The question of compliance with the order passed by this tribunal will be considered on the next date of hearing and in case of any non-compliance on the part of any respondents exemplary cost may be imposed on them.”
In the March 23, 2023 order, the tribunal had directed the complete treatment of the waste through bio-mining, micro-composting centres or material recovery facilities by December 31, 2023. The Odisha government was also instructed to deposit Rs 1.84 crore in an escrow account to fund the remediation.
The tribunal had on July 28 directed Bargarh municipality to file a separate affidavit detailing how the released funds are being utilised in line with its directives.
The Bargarh collector in his affidavit stated that over Rs 1.21 crore had already been released by the state government to Bargarh municipality. The affidavit also stated that the dumpsite has been secured with a boundary wall of 420 feet length and 12 feet height at ward no. 15 of Bargarh municipality which helps in preventing contamination and protecting the surrounding area. Besides, treatment of the legacy waste through bio-mining process is currently ongoing in a total area of nearly two acres under Bargarh tehsil area.
The municipality had first proposed setting up five sewage treatment plants (STPs) of capacity of 125 KLD across the town. But later, due to land constraints, it has now proposed a single 12 MLD wastewater treatment plant on 8.25 acre at Ruhungia under Bargarh tehsil to cater to future needs, the collector further said in the affidavit.