Will be disaster to establish waste mgmt plant on forest land at Panchkula’s Jhuriwala village: Central panel

A central committee has deemed that it will be a “disaster” to set up an integrated municipal solid waste management facility (IMSWM) at Jhuriwala village by clearing a natural forest and declared that the site proposed by the Panchkula MC is unfit for the project

A central committee has deemed that it will be a “disaster” to set up an integrated municipal solid waste management facility (IMSWM) at Jhuriwala village by clearing a natural forest and declared that the site proposed by the Panchkula MC is unfit for the project.

The four-member expert appraisal committee of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change visited the proposed site on May 28 and has stated in its report that it is not suitable for setting up the facility as per environmental guidelines. (HT File)

After ceasing dumping of garbage at the Sector 23 landfill, MC has converted 12 acres of forest land in Jhurriwala into a dumping ground without requisite environmental clearance, posing a severe threat to ecology and wildlife.

The four-member expert appraisal committee of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change visited the proposed site on May 28 and has stated in its report that it is not suitable for setting up the facility as per environmental guidelines. “The natural water channels have also been blocked. The authorities also could not produce any letter of environmental clearance,” the committee’s report said.

A latest order of the Supreme Court declaring a 1-km radius of all protected areas as eco-sensitive zones makes this area unfit for the facility, the panel observed.

Why destroy a forest?

“The big question which needs to be answered is why destroy a natural forest, when the plant can be constructed on any other land?” The committee asked.

“Seeing the importance of environmental conservation, it will not be proper to set up an IMSWF site and plant in a natural forest with rich biodiversity adjacent to a wildlife sanctuary. Moreover, the area also receives natural water channels from a nearby undulating watershed,” the committee added.

On examination of forest clearance granted in 2011, the committee found that the work of compensatory afforestation has still not been handed over to the forest department. “This means the conditions laid out in the stage- 1 clearance letter have not been complied with as yet. As per guidelines, stage -2 clearance is issued only when all the conditions laid out in stage -1 have been met,” committee observed.

The committee further observed that there seem to be discrepancies in the forest clearance and it needs investigation. Also, the residents have complained that many drinking water borewells of the area have been closed due to polluted water, which also needs to be probed, said the panel.

It observed: “This is a violation of the environmental laws and unscientific management of the site in gross violation of the guidelines of Swachh Bharat Mission and Municipal Solid Waste Manual.”