JKPCC issues notice to Suptd before imposing EC
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 27: Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) has noticed illegal and unscientific dumping and burning of solid waste at the backside of the Katra Railway Station and subsequent irreversible damage to the environment of holy town. In order to prevent the situation from worsening further, the Committee has issued show-cause notice to Station Superintendent before imposing Environmental Compensation (EC) on the basis of Polluter Pays Principle.
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Official sources told EXCELSIOR that on January 15, 2025, JKPCC received a complaint regarding burning of huge quantity of solid waste by management of Railway Station Katra at its backside and accordingly Divisional Officer, Pollution Control Committee Reasi was directed to conduct site inspection.
After site inspection the officer reported that unscientific disposal of mixed waste is being unabatedly done by the management of Railway Station Katra by means of open dumping and burning of solid waste leading to water and environment pollution in the area, which is likely to cause a serious environmental problem in the holy town.
“The inspection report has pinpointed complete violation by management of Katra Railway Station with regard to provisions of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, Solid Waste Management Bye-Laws, 2019 and directions issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) from time to time”, sources said, adding “even the Regional Director, Pollution Control Committee Jammu has endorsed the report of Divisional Officer, Pollution Control Committee Reasi for taking further necessary action”.
Accordingly, the Member Secretary of JKPCC Ghansham Singh has issued a show-cause notice to the Superintendent of Katra Railway Station mentioning that unscientific dumping of solid waste and burning of garbage has caused severe air and water pollution leading to irreversible damage to the environment as a whole.
“You are directed to show-cause within 15 days as to why Environmental Compensation on the basis of Polluter Pays Principle and directions of the National Green Tribunal be not levied upon you and you may not be prosecuted under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for violation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016″, read the notice issued today by the JKPCC to Superintendent of Katra Railway Station, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
It has been made clear in the show-cause notice that in the event no tenable response is received within the notice period, the order for levying of Environmental Compensation as per prescribed guidelines shall become imperative along with initiation of prosecution proceedings in court of law for blatant and repeated violations of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and NGT directions without any further notice.
It is pertinent to mention here that open littering of solid waste is prohibited under J&K Non-Biodegradable Material (Management, Handling and Disposal) Act, 2007, Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. The solid waste needs to be collected, transported and disposed of as per the provisions of these Rules. Further, open burning of solid waste is completely prohibited.
“Strict compliance of all these Rules is required to be ensured from the management of Katra Railway Station especially in the light of the fact that more trains will now be operated from this station up to Baramulla in Kashmir valley and with the increase in number of passengers solid waste generation will go up considerably and its illegal dumping and burning will cause severe damage to environment”, sources said.
Similar, show-cause notice has also been issued to Block Development Officer, R S Pura for illegal and unscientific dumping of solid waste at Panchayat Badyal Brahmana Upper and Badyal Brahmana Lower on the left side of River Tawi.
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