Untreated garbage dumped in dry pond, covered with sand in Patiala
Patiala, March 11
Untreated garbage has been dumped in dry pond in violation of the NGT orders and pollution norms in the city. Though the Municipal Corporation (MC) claimed that garbage thrown on the low-lying land adjacent to the Sheesh Mahal Colony was not from any of its projects, the civic body had not been able to identify those involved in the act.
A tipper along with a JCB machine worked on the site, disposing of untreated waste and covering it with sand. The illegal act was stopped when the MC was questioned. Notably, waste in tonnes was dumped in broad daylight.
An official requesting anonymity said, “Waste cannot be disposed of in the open or dumped under sand without treatment. The Municipal Corporation should take action against those involved in the illegal act in the area under its jurisdiction. The NGT is itself monitoring waste management.” Another official said capping of waste can lead to emission of harmful gases and cause ground water pollution due to seeping of leachate.
When contacted, the PPCB member secretary, Karunesh Garg, said, “Such practice is illegal. We will take action against those responsible.”
The Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Poonamdeep Kaur, said, “Someone else must be throwing garbage waste at the site. It is not from our projects. We have nevertheless directed a sanitary officer to keep a watch on the site to identify the people involved in the illegal act.” — TNS
