Pollution body sends show cause notice to MCG over waste management violations

The order said that MCG’s reply must be given within the stipulated time along with a list of names of the officials responsible for the violations

The Haryana state pollution control board (HSPCB) has issued a show cause notice to the Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) for violations of solid waste management (SWM) rules, and warned that penal action would be taken against it under the Environment Protection (EP) Act if it does not give a satisfactory response within 15 days, police officers familiar with the matter said on Saturday.

Garbage burns in Sushant Lok-2 beside Golf Course Extension Road in Gurugram on Wednesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The order said that MCG’s reply must be given within the stipulated time along with a list of names of the officials responsible for the violations, otherwise, action would be taken against the civic body under Section 15 of EP Act, 1986, they added.

The notice was issued after residents reported garbage burning issues in the open in sectors across the city in violation of SWM Rules, 2016. On Wednesday, garbage was set ablaze in a green belt in Sector 56. Residents said MCG officials didn’t respond to complaints about open waste burning, after which they approached the fire department which doused the flames. HT on Thursday reported on ten locations where garbage burning continues unabated. Residents of several areas said they have made multiple complaints to the police, MCG and the pollution control board about illegal waste dumping and burning, but such incidents are still occurring daily. This has also led to deterioration in the city’s AQI over the past two days, they said.

Officials said that the show cause notice was served for prosecution under Section 15 of EP Act, 1986, for non-compliance with SWM rules 2016, and environmental compensation as per policy order dated December 22, 2021.

Naresh Kumar, joint commissioner of MCG, said that their teams are monitoring the situation. “We have not yet received the show cause notice. We have penalised people and impounded more than 50 vehicles for the violation this month. We will intensify our drive against waste burning,” he said.

Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder member of Why Waste Your Waste, a civil society movement for a zero waste city, said it is distressing to see the ease with which waste is burnt in the open. “It is a rampant practice in complete defiance of municipal rules and environmental laws. Residents are compelled to breathe these toxic pollutants from ground-level burning of hazardous waste such as styrofoam, municipal mixed waste including plastics and biomass such as horticulture waste — the smoke mixes with the air in the breathing zone and increases PM 2.5 levels exposing especially the vulnerable to diseases,” she said.

Takkar said that the city administration did well in spreading awareness of preventive steps during the Covid-19 pandemic, and waste burning was nothing short of an epidemic that has a profound impact on human health. “We also appeal to the deputy commissioner to take steps to inform all residents to stop this deadly practice and neither burn waste nor let anyone burn waste and to report to the police and prosecute the offenders,” she said.

Manas Human, chief executive officer of private firm Nagarro, said that waste is burned every day at dozens of places across the city. “This contributes heavily to air pollution. This pollution is very toxic since plastic and e-waste is also being burned. The district administration has banned burning of waste with a Section 144 order but the incidents are still rampant,” he said.