NGT pulls up state over ‘river of plastic’

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 14

The National Green Tribune (NGT) has pulled up the state authorities on the river of plastic— Ashwani Khud episode and directed the state to learn lessons from Indore, Goa and towns in Kerala to put the solid management action plan in place this year.

According to official sources, the NGT chaired by its chairperson justice Adarsh Kumar Goel heard the plea of the state government’s action plan on solid waste management during a videoconferencing conducted by the green court on Monday evening.

During the videoconference, the NGT chairman said, “It was even embarrassing for the NGT that the plastic was banned in Himachal and it was still flowing into the river and khuds”, said an official who attended the conference.

The NGT is also likely to hear the River of plastic episode shortly as the state regulator has already submitted its seven-member inquiry report to the NGT earlier.

The Tribune had highlighted the pollution in the Ashwani Khud and the River of plastic episode went viral on social media after a resident of Neri captured the pollution in a video clip on July 2. The NGT took cognisance of the matter and sought a report from the state pollution regulator.

The NGT pulled up the civic bodies of Shimla and Solan, urban and environment development and state pollution regulator and other government agencies and told them to put the state action plan on solid waste management in place. The NGT said, Indore, Goa and towns in Kerala were neat and clean and “You should put your action plan for the solid waste management in place covering all towns and the state as a whole by this yearend”.

On the other hand, state officials pleaded that they had readied the action plan and were enforcing it in Shimla, Manali and other towns, said insiders, who attended the conference, requesting anonymity.

The video-conference was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Forests and Environment and Power Tarun Kapur, the Member Secretary, state pollution regulator, Dr RK Purthi and officials of Shimla Municipal Corporation, the sources said.

Action plan ready: State officials

On the other hand, state officials pleaded that they had readied the action plan and were enforcing it in Shimla, Manali and other towns, said insiders, who attended the conference, requesting anonymity.