Zirakpur MC fined ₹10,000 for burning solid waste

Last year in December, a monitoring committee of the National Green Tribunal had also imposed a penalty of ₹2 lakh on the civic body

For violating the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, by burning solid waste, the Zirakpur municipal council (MC) has been fined ₹10,000 by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

Punjab Pollution Control Board officials says complaints were received about burning of garbage at the municipal dumpsite n Dhakoli and burning of dry leaves at the MC park in the same area. (HT File Photo/For Representation Only)

Sub-divisional engineer, PPCB, Rantej Sharma said, “We received a complaint about burning of garbage at the municipal dumpsite near the mandi in Dhakoli and of burning of dry leaves and trees at MC Park of Dhakoli. The MC has paid the fine.”

Last year in December, a monitoring committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had imposed a penalty of ₹2 lakh on the municipal council of Zirakpur for failing to implement proper solid waste management measures. The committee had also directed the civic body to streamline solid waste management in Zirakpur by January 31, 2021, but seven months on, nothing has been done.

Sharma said, “Our team visited the dumping site of Zirakpur MC and found that they have not complied with the orders of the NGT committee. We have prepared a report and sent it to the higher authorities, recommending strict action against MC.”

When contacted, Rajinder Singh, chief sanitary inspector of MC, Zirakpur, said, “We are in the process of complying with the recommendations of the NGT committee. I hope it will be done soon.”

On the other hand, president of the joint action committee, Zirakpur, Sukhdev Chaudhary said, “Though the city is gasping for fresh air due to severe air pollution, the practice of setting garbage on fire is still going unchecked in several parts of Zirakpur. This is because there is no proper mechanism for disposal of solid waste in the city, and MC sweepers usually collect it in one corner and burn it, which makes breathing difficult for residents of nearby areas.”

As per the action plan prepared for adopting measures for cleaner air in Mohali district, there is a need to curb incidents of garbage burning. Officials have been advised to educate their staff not to burn solid waste in the open. They have also been advised to install CCTV cameras at secondary garbage collection points, so that such incidents could be checked, but everything is on papers only, he said.