Projects delayed, NGT panel pulls up officials in Jalandhar

Jalandhar, July 4

After repeated failure of the authorities to implement the District Environmental Plan (DEP) despite constant reminders, the National Green Tribunal’s monitoring committee has extended the deadline until December 31.

Officials in Jalandhar were quizzed for their failure to implement various programmes under the plan, including solid waste segregation and management, setting up and functioning of composting pits, biomedical waste disposal, countering of effluent disposal, liquid waste management, setting up and functioning of STPs and ATPs, etc.

The monitoring committee— comprising chairman Justice Jasbir Singh (retd), former chief secretary SC Aggarwal, environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal and Babu Ram (both members) — reviewed the district environment plan at the DAC in the presence of Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori and MC officials here today. The NGT directed officials to ensure complete waste segregation in the city and to ensure the functionality of all composting pits till December 2022.

Miffed at the non-implementation of the deadline of the DEPs across various cities in Punjab, Justice Jasbir Singh (retd) said the failure of the officials to meet the deadlines stipulated for various projects would invite stricter action in future. He also said the state government had already been requested to fix responsibility of officials failing to meet project deadline despite repeated reminders.

Justice Jasbir Singh (retd) said: “Deadlines or projects for which we have been pressing for the past three years are yet to be met by officials. While 650 composting pits had to be set up, only 126 have been set up so far. Officials have no response on the lack of starting of these projects. We had asked them to stipulate a time span until which work will be complete – for which they have given December 2022 as the date. Sewerage treatment projects have comparatively made some steady progress.”

He said the machinery associated with biomining project on the Wariana dump was still lying unused and it was imperative that it was made functional at the earliest.

Referring to clearing the site of Wariana dump, Municipal Corporation officials apprised the committee that biomining project worth Rs 32.11 crore would start next month to clear nearly 8 lakh MT waste at the site within two years.

Joint Commissioner of Police Navneet Singh Bains, Additional Deputy Commissioner (D) Varinder Pal Singh Bajwa, SP (H) Manpreet Singh Dhillon, Civil Surgeon Dr Raman Kumar and others were also present.