Two G’gram housing societies get notices

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 19

State Pollution Control Board and Municipal Corporation, Gurugram, have served show cause notices to two group housing societies of the DLF — Mangolias and Arallias — for dumping garbage and waste in the Aravalli forests for the past several months. The notices have been served non-compliance of the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2016.

In its notice, the State Pollution Control Board has provided the group housing societies an opportunity to makeover the deficiency within 7 days or face legal action. The MCG, too, has sought a reply within 5 days and has warned action under the law if the reply was found unsatisfactory.

“I wrote thrice to the MCG in the past 7 months, informing them about the continuous dumping of construction debris and waste in the vicinity of Ghata Lake, thereby, destroying the catchment area of the water body. Even though Ghata Lake falls in forest area, nothing has been done to punish the offenders or to undo the damage being caused,” alleged Vaishali Rana, an environmental activist, who has been fighting to save the Aravallis.

She said that the MCG had informed her that the violators were being challaned, but the dumping of waste continues damaging the ecology of the Aravallis.

Vaishali Rana claims to have filmed contractors hired by Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) unloading a trailer full of garbage inside the Aravallis on January 30.

The matter comes to the fore amid allegations that the state government has been trying to dilute forest tag of the Aravallis in the name of a process to identify “forest” and “non-forest” areas falling within the notified areas under Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900.