NGT notice to Ghaziabad civic body over waste dumping at Morta

The site at Morta has a huge volume of solid waste and the corporation has maintained that its waste processing is scientific

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a response of the Ghaziabad civic body on a petition filed by a resident alleging open dumping of solid waste by the municipal corporation in Morta near Raj Nagar Extension.

The solid waste dumping site at Morta is 8km from the Hindon airbase. (HT Photo)

The tribunal also directed that a joint committee -- comprising municipal and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board officials and the district collector -- conduct an inspection of the site and submit a report before it.

In his petition, resident Anuj Sharma contended that the corporation was allegedly dumping municipal solid waste in violation of Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016, along Shahpur Road in Morta.

He submitted that the site has about 50 educational institutions in its vicinity. The petitioner has also mentioned that the solid waste dumping site is about 8km from the Hindon airbase which increases the risks to aircraft from bird hits besides being hazardous to human health and welfare.

The tribunal on Wednesday sought the response from the corporation and other respondents such as the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board within six weeks.

“We deem it just and proper to call a report on the matter from a joint committee consisting of one representative from state pollution control board and collector, Ghaziabad. The committee is directed to visit the place and submit the factual and action taken report within six weeks,” the tribunal said in its order.

The site at Morta has a huge volume of solid waste and the corporation has maintained that its waste processing is scientific.

“We will analyse the NGT order and take appropriate action,” said municipal commissioner Nitin Gaur.

“It is estimated that the site in Morta has about 100,000 metric tonnes of solid waste. We also intend to rope in an agency to estimate the volume of the solid waste. Currently, the solid waste from Ghaziabad is taken to two new sites on Pipeline Road and Shahpur,” said a municipal official on condition of anonymity.

The Ghaziabad city produces an estimated 1,400 metric tonnes of daily solid waste and has no designated waste processing site till day. The construction of the proposed waste to energy plant in Galand, spread over 44.26 acres, is yet to start despite ongoing deliberations since 2019.