Chandigarh: Complainant objects to report on biomedical waste treatment plant

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 3

Objections have been raised over an inspection report submitted before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by a three-member committee on Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF) at Industrial Area here.

In compliance to NGT directions, a three-member committee was constituted to carry out a joint inspection of the treatment facility. The joint inspection was done on February 6 in the presence of the manager of the CBWTF and other staff. However, complainant Lalit Gupta was not present during the inspection and had informed his unavailability via e-mail on February 5.

In objections filed before the green watchdog, the complainant said the submission made in the report that the land size/plot area was more than 0.5 acre (2,080 sq yards) was completely vague and false.

The half-acre of the plot size is equivalent to 2,420 sq yards and not 2,080 sq yards as submitted in the report and guidelines only allow authority to relax the land when the population was less than 25 lakh that too in consultation from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), he stated.

In the present report, the complainant submitted, neither the land was 2,420 sq yards, nor the population was more than 25 lakh, and also there was no supporting orders from the CPCB.

He further stated that the other submission that there was no provision of 33% of green belt to be developed by the CBWTF was also against the CPCB Guidelines 2016. Hence, 33% of total land was not developed as green belt to mitigate the hazardous emissions, toxic generated through incinerations plants.

In its report, the committee has stated that as per the CPCB guidelines for the CBWTF, there was no such specification mentioned regarding the development of green belt.

Even the submission that the stack height was 35 meters was also not substantiated by the documents annexed with the report. The annexure attached clearly states that the stack height is 30 meters only. Again a false submissions made in the inspection report, he stated. The committee had stated that the stack height is 35 meters.

In the light of the submissions made in the report, the complainant prayed that the Tribunal might kindly decide the matter in accordance with the correct factual position as against the wrong report submitted in the matter and take stringent action against the errant officials who not only committed improprieties to suppress the illegalities but also tried to misled the tribunal.

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#Environment #National Green Tribunal NGT