{NGT-appointed} Ludhiana: Court commissioner takes stock of solid waste management
The court commissioner has been conducting inspections since Wednesday and has visited several key locations. The inspection concluded on Thursday.
In a petition filed by Kapil Arora and Kuldeep Singh Khaira regarding the poor management of solid waste in Ludhiana, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) appointed court commissioner Bhanwar Pal Singh Jadon to inspect the situation in the city. The court commissioner has been conducting inspections since Wednesday and has visited several key locations. The inspection concluded on Thursday.
Kapil Arora showed the court commissioner the problematic sites, and Vipal Malhotra, along with other officials from the municipal corporation (MC), Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT), Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), were present during the inspection.
Kapil Arora stated that the joint committee, which includes the deputy commissioner (DC), MC and PPCB, had previously submitted a report claiming that all the sites in question had been cleared and no garbage was being dumped there. However, the petitioners contested this report, arguing that it was false and demanded action against the DC, MC and committee members for misleading the NGT. As a result, the NGT appointed Jadon to inspect the sites and submit an accurate report before the next hearing.
Kuldeep Singh Khaira added that the court commissioner found large piles of garbage and demolition waste at several locations, with Model Town Extension, village Gill pond, Bachan Singh Marg, and the wholesale vegetable market being in particularly bad condition. He pointed out that the situation around the EWS flats was especially dire, with garbage buried up to a depth of 10 to 12 feet, which posed a significant environmental hazard.
During the visit to Bachan Singh Marg, the Jadon questioned GLADA officials about the dumped garbage and demolition waste, but they were unable to provide any answers. The court commissioner also criticised the PPCB for failing to monitor the situation properly in Ludhiana.
Residents of Model Town Extension and Bahadur Ke Road met with the Jadon during the inspection and submitted a letter of complaint. They explained how the ongoing dumping of garbage has created miserable living conditions, with family members suffering due to the presence of flies, mosquitoes, and the constant risk of epidemics.
The petitioners hope that, based on this inspection, the NGT will take strict action during the next hearing, especially in light of the false reports previously submitted by the authorities.