Ludhiana garbage woes: Green tribunal summons mandi board DGM
The board’s counsel, however, submitted that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed with the municipal corporation (MC) and a static compactor had been installed to collect and transport waste to the Tajpur dump; an awareness drive was launched to discourage the use of single-use plastics, the counsel said
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Punjab Mandi Board deputy general manager (DGM) to appear in person on July 10 over ‘non-compliance’ with Punjab Pollution Control Board’s (PPCB) recommendations regarding waste management at the wholesale vegetable market on Bahadur Ke Road.
HT has seen a copy of the order. The NGT bench also asked the official to take corrective steps over the matter within two weeks and submit a report.
Petitioners Kapil Arora and Gagnish Khurana, members of the Public Action Committee – a civil society group -- approached the NGT in 2023, highlighting the ‘unscientific’ handling of garbage and the sale of single-use plastics at the market. The NGT formed a committee with PPCB as the nodal agency to investigate the matter.
“The committee’s report validated our allegations and recommended that the mandi board manage waste within its premises as per the Solid Waste Management Rules. The PPCB directed the board to enforce a ban on single-use plastics. However, the board failed to comply, continuing to dump and burn garbage, which has resulted in environmental degradation and health hazards for people residing in nearby areas,” said Arora.
After the NGT reopened the case, petitioners Vikas Arora and Mohit Jain presented fresh evidence of ‘repeated violations’ by the mandi board.
The board’s counsel, however, submitted that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed with the municipal corporation (MC) and a static compactor had been installed to collect and transport waste to the Tajpur dump. An awareness drive was launched to discourage the use of single-use plastics, the counsel said.
The petitioners contested these claims, arguing that the installed machine was a compactor, not a composter, and that the board had failed to adhere to waste segregation and on-site processing norms. “Despite the board’s claims, garbage fires continue to occur at the market and single-use plastic is being sold openly,” (Which one) Arora asserted.
