Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal through the week
Waste management
A 82-page report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on legacy waste management with reference to three dumpsites in New Delhi – at Ghazipur, Okhla, Bhalswa – was made public on March 13, 2020.
The report was in pursuance to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order of December 19, 2019.
It contained minutes of meeting on bio mining process of legacy waste in states with municipalities, along with inspection report for legacy waste dumpsites.
The CPCB officials inspected the dumpsites with reference to bio remediation in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in September-October 2019. Many shortcomings adopted by different municipal corporations were observed.
The municipal corporations were asked to follow CPCB guidelines on disposal of legacy waste with reference to stabilisation, proper screening, action plan to include proposed destination for utilisation of different fractions, leachate management system and testing of bio-earth.
CPCB officials noted that waste stabilisation through bio-remedition was being practiced only at Okhla dumpsite. Window method was adopted and bio culture was sprayed to stabilise waste. However, fumes were generated from waste transferred to trammel. This indicated that stabilisation was not complete.
At Bhalsawa and Ghazipur, no stabilisation was done and legacy waste was being excavated. No bio culture was used at the two sites. CPCB said screening of waste was not in line with its guidelines at all three dumpsites.
Vehicle scrapping policy
The NGT on March 12, 2020 uploaded Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ (MoRTH) response to November 19, 2019 court order.
It directed the Ministry to submit status on the formulation of vehicle scrapping policy.
It informed the tribunal that a draft note for Cabinet on “creation of eco-system for scrapping of older vehicles for transition to environment-friendly vehicles” for inter-ministerial consultation was circulated on October 30, 2019.
Comments and inputs received from various ministries and departments were examined and final note for the Cabinet formulated.
The draft guidelines for setting up, authorisation and operation of vehicle scrapping centres was uploaded on MoRTH website for public comments and suitably modified.
A formal notification would be issued under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, after approval of the Cabinet.
Containing pollution in Delhi
The final report by the oversight committee headed by Pratibha Rani, former Delhi High Court judge, on containing environmental pollution was made public on March 13, 2020.
The report dealt with various issues such as industrial pollution, plastic waste dumping and waste management.
In a meeting on October 30, 2019, the closure of potters’ 'bhattis' was discussed.
The committee recommended the need to sensitise potters about switching to PNG and providing them subsidy as well as assistance in paper work.
It was recommended that bhattis should be unsealed only if potters switched to approved fuel.
With respect dumping of plastic waste on agricultural land causing air pollution, around 10,766 tonnes of plastic waste had been cleared and sent to waste-to-energy plant.
The Public Works Department drains in Jahangirpuri was made free of encroachments and 800 tonnes of plastic waste.
The final report talked of steps for construction of treatment, storage and disposal facility (TSDF) for hazardous waste on build, operate and transfer basis in Delhi’s Bawana for 25 years.
A door-to-door survey of 17 industrial areas connected to CETPs had been completed by a joint team of Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation and DPCC. Over 1,966 units were found to be non-compliant.
Action was taken against such units and Rs 5.655 crores deposited by the defaulters on account of realisation of environmental compensation till December 10, 2019.
‘Bhattis’ contributing to pollution
A report was filed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on March 12, 2020 on pollution caused by wood dust, plastic bags and tyres used as a fuel at Sainik Enclave, Vikas Nagar and Uttar Nagar in New Delhi.
The report was in compliance of the NGT order of December 20, 2019.
The DPCC filed an exhaustive list of units in the said locality using bhattis. A total of 321 potteries were found in Sainik Enclave, of which 166 potteries were found to be using bhattis;155 potteries were found with dismantled bhattis.
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