Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 8: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Sanjeet Kumar seeking pollution free environment in the State, Division Bench of State High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar issued notice to State Pollution Control for filing status report.
When the PIL came up for consideration, Division Bench observed, “according to the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 framed under Sections 3, 6 and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the land fill site for disposal of residual solid waste is required to be provided in all the areas and the responsibility has been given to the local bodies/municipal authorities like Municipal Corporations, Municipality, Nagar Palika, Nagar Nigam, Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council including Notified Area Committees or any other local body”.
“The details of various functions which are required to be performed have been given in the Rules. The landfill site has to be identified where solid wastes can be dumped and disposed of in the manner given in the implementation schedule (Schedule-I)”, the DB said, adding “in respect of Udhampur site for dumping the solid waste has been identified at village Mand for setting up a solid waste management project. However, no further progress has been reported”.
“The Pollution Control Board must swing in action and ensure that the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 are strictly complied with ensuring that there is proper disposal of municipal solid waste and the land fill sites start working with protective measures against pollution of ground water, surface water and air fugitive dust, wind blow litter, bad odour, fire hazard, bird menace, pests or rodents, greenhouse gas emissions, slope instability and erosion”, the DB said.
On this, AAG Seema Shekhar appearing for the State stated that in the first phase, a plan has been made for seven towns namely Poonch, Sunderbani, Akhnoor, Samba, Kathua, Bhaderwah and Doda. She further stated that in Sunderbani, Doda and Bhaderwah, these projects are complete and have been handed over to the municipal authorities of the areas.
Upon this, Division Bench directed that a complete report with regard to these three areas be also filed by the Pollution Control Board so that it may be examined. “If necessary same may be adopted as model for other towns. It has further been stated that in other areas the steps are in the offing to set up solid waste management projects and status report in that regard be also filed”, the DB directed.
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