21 fined for open waste burning

The Municipal Corporation Gurgaon has fined over 20 people for waste burning since it started night inspection on Friday to check and monitor such acts.

The Municipal Corporation Gurgaon has fined over 20 people for waste burning since it started night inspection on Friday to check and monitor such acts.

Waste burning in open area in Sector 49.(Parveen Kumar/HT)

The development comes a month after section 144 CrPC was enforced during the smog crisis. The order banned the burning of waste, dry leaves, plastic, and other material that could worsen air quality.

Hence, action was taken by four MCG sanitation teams headed by senior sanitary inspectors under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 and 21 first-time offenders were fined ₹5,000 during MCG’s night drive.

Apart from punishment under provisions of the act, some offenders were also liable to pay compensation under section 15 of the National Green Tribunal Act and were fined up to ₹50,000.

The MCG officials have challaned 120 violators since October for the burning of garbage.

As per health department officials garbage burning leads to a large emission of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and an increase in suspended particulate matter. These also leads to a steep rise in cases of respiratory diseases. Burning of waste in the open is more harmful than other emissions. They claim that vehicles, industries and hospitals (which burn medical waste) use filters during burning which checks level of carbon emission. The same is not the case with open burning and adds to the pollution woes.

“We have noticed a significant jump in complaints owing to pollution. There has been an increase of 40% of patients complaining of serious dry eye-related symptoms such as burning, smarting and redness. If automotive toxic fumes combined with secondary photochemical smog occurs then we will see serious debilitating eye affliction.” said Dr Sudipto Pakrasi, chairman, division of ophthalmology, Medanta - The Medicity.