Dumping of construction waste goes unchecked in Faridabad

Bijendra Ahlawat

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Tribune News Service

Faridabad, November 8

The menace of dumping construction waste material (rubble) in the open continues. With no curbs despite the city being a pollution hotspot, it has left the residents worried.

“Hundreds of tonnes of such waste has been dumped in open places in Greater Faridabad (also known as the Neharpar area) despite the imposition of the graded response action plan (GRAP) by the Ministry of Environment to keep a tab on pollution during the winter season,” says AK Gaur, a resident of Sector 85 here. Claiming that the rubble and waste had been dumped in the open on the sides of almost all roads and in the open spaces, he said, the violations had been going on despite the measures announced to improve cleanliness in the city. Alleging that not a single violation has been penalised till date, Pramod Manocha, president of the Greater Faridabad Residents Welfare Association (GREFA) said the area had become a favourite spot for rubble and garbage dumping giving the localities a messy and shabby look.

Tulinder Katoch, another resident, said hundreds of tonnes of waste material was being dumped in the open. He said rubble was thrown on the side of the several kilometers-long road running parallel to the Agra canal and in open spaces. He said this had not only been hazardous to the environment, but also posed danger to commuters as the waste had occupied the portions of the roads. He said despite the announcement of penalising the violators, the problem remained unresolved, as the authorities were yet to earmark the spots for dumping the construction waste. Satinder Singh, a retired defence official, said improper disposal of waste, dusty road conditions and lack of cleanliness had led to a sharp rise in air pollution, which he said needed immediate attention. Ombir Singh, Superintending Engineer, Municipal Corporation, Faridabad(MCF), said that a plan was afoot for a project to recycle and reuse the construction waste for making products like interlocking tiles and manhole covers at Khori village in the district. He said a provision of imposing a penalty on the illegal disposal of waste had also been made and had been implemented.