Pesticide-free Ganga to transform Banaras into a green city: NGT judicial member
It should be ensured that pesticides used anywhere in farms or gardens don’t enter the river Ganga, said Ahmed while chairing a meeting of the district environmental committee, Varanasi.
To set Banaras as an example of the best environmentally friendly city, judicial member of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Dr Afroz Ahmed, has put forward a set of suggestions that demand the involvement of people in saving the catchment areas of rivers.
It should be ensured that pesticides used anywhere in farms or gardens don’t enter the river Ganga, said Ahmed while chairing a meeting of the district environmental committee, Varanasi. The meeting was attended by district magistrate S Rajalingam, chief development officer Himanshu Nagpal, and regional officer, UPPCB Varanasi, Dr SC Shukla.
Reviewing the work done by district officers for environmental protection, Dr Ahmed directed the officials of the forest and pollution control boards to hold a meeting with industrialists and encourage them to use their CSR and CER funds for environmental protection.
Dr Ahmed also directed better disposal of pollution in mining and construction works. Giving special suggestions on green development, he said that a concrete plan should be prepared by identifying the main points in the district so that large-scale green development can be achieved.
Dr Ahmed further stressed the effective implementation of NGT rules for environmental protection and inquired about the work done so far for environmental protection. In the meeting, discussions were held regarding solid waste management, biomedical waste, plastic waste, safe disposal of hazardous waste, construction and demolition waste, and e-waste management, as well as the operation of the effluent treatment plant in Varanasi.
He also took detailed information about the sewage treatment plant (STP) in Ramna. He suggested adopting piped natural gas (PNG) in place of coal.
Dr SC Shukla, however, said that currently 100 tonnes of garbage are being disposed of at STP, Ramna. About 600-650 tonnes of garbage are being disposed of in the bio-composting plant located at Karsada, Dr Shukla added.
As per NGT Order 606, Dr Ahmed suggested dividing STP into three parts, including an interpretation centre, biodiversity park, and the third part for its expansion along with using the water coming out of STP after purification for irrigation.
He also directed that biomedical waste management should be disposed of professionally within 24 hours. He also suggested adopting agroforestry and urban forestry for environmental conservation.