UP pollution board slaps ₹4.57 cr fine on Gzb civic body for waste dumping

The fine, according to the board’s compliance report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on March 30, is for 762 days of violation between January 1, 2023, and January 31, 2025

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has imposed an environmental compensation (ECC) of ₹4.57 crore on the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation for allegedly dumping over 61,000 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste at two sites inside the sewage treatment plant (STP) premises in Madhuban Bapudham.

The board’s inspection found that the first dumping site at the STP had been cleared and replanted with around 300 plants and 500 shrubs. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The fine, according to the board’s compliance report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on March 30, was for 762 days of violation between January 1, 2023, and January 31, 2025. The UPPCB issued the order on March 27 following a site inspection on February 21.

However, municipal commissioner Vikramaditya Malik refuted the alleged violation period, adding that the corporation will challenge the penalty. “The site was used temporarily during the 2024 Kanwar Yatra due to the complete closure of Delhi-Meerut Road. The ECC for 762 days is unjustified, especially when the waste has been removed and the site restored,” he added.

The case was taken up following a petition filed by the Madhuban Bapudham Welfare Society. In its December 2024 submission to the tribunal, the municipal corporation had cited the Kanwar Yatra as the reason for the dumping, claiming road closures had blocked access to the waste processing site. It was reported that of the 61,000 metric tonnes of accumulated waste, 29,287 metric tonnes were shifted to the Bhikhanpur facility, while 31,713 metric tonnes remained on-site.

During a hearing on April 2, the NGT acknowledged the board’s report but noted that the petitioner’s counsel disputed its findings and sought two weeks to file objections.

RK Sharma, representing the petitioner group, said, “The entire site has not been cleared, and much of the plantation has dried up. We will be filing our objections accordingly.”