Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
The municipal solid waste processing facility in Shivri village, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh lacks a proper leachate collection and treatment system, according to the joint inspection report filed by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.
Leachate was found spread on the floor in the plant. During inspection, it was observed that leachate was being discharged into a nalla through a stormwater drain. The nalla was found to be filled with leachate originating from the plant.
The plant has a processing capacity of 1,200 tonnes per day of solid waste and is spread over an area of approximately 19 hectares. Waste is collected door to door and transported to the plant directly or through a transfer station.
Lucknow city has three transfer stations located at Gwari, Malpur and Priyadarshan colonies. At present, only one secondary transfer station at Gwari, which caters to Zone 4, is operational.
The remaining two secondary transfer stations are closed. Door-to-door collection of waste is only 60 per cent in Lucknow city.
The plant has installed 64 portably compact transfer stations (PCTS) for solid waste compaction. At present, only 59 PCTS are operational.
During inspection, one trommel was found to be not operational. Mechanical lifting system was also not operational. Waste is currently being lifted using JCB machines.
A joint committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme project in Karimnagar district of Telangana proposed “Rs 447 crore as prorate damage and the budget for remediation / restoration”.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) October 20, 2020 directed the ministry to assess the extent of environmental damage on account of the project having been executed without prior environmental clearance (EC) and to identify the restoration measures that can be taken to prevent any adverse ecological impact.
In the light of the above direction, MoEF&CC constituted a seven-member expert committee to assess the extent of damage caused in going ahead with the project without EC from 2007-2017.
The committee was also asked to identify the restoration measures necessary, along with relief and rehabilitation measures.
“As directed and concluded by NGT, the project activities that were undertaken by the project proponent from 2008-2017, until the EC was obtained were declared as a clear case of violation," the report said.
The Public Works Department of Mathura assured the NGT that all efforts have been made to ensure no concretisation takes place within the areas where any work is to be undertaken by the department in future in the city of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.
The matter related to the concretisation of the roads stated to have been carried out by the Public Works Department and the Uttar Pradesh Rural Engineering Services, Mathura.
In Chaitanya Vihar and Ramanreti, old roads are maintained with 15 cm cement concrete work, which was done by the PWD.
No widening work has been done on the road and the area around the plantation has been kept earthen. Further, on Yamuna Parikrama Marg, no interlocking work has been carried out on footpath after 2018, while earthen footpath was developed by the Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad in place of interlocking tiles, the report said April 28, 2023.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.