NGT calls all chief secretaries with waste reduction plans

New Delhi: When the entire nation will be in the Parliamentary election mode in 2019, the chief secretaries of all the states and Union Territories (UT) have been directed by the Nation Green Tribunal (NGT) to appear before it in person from March 1 with status reports of their action and immediate future plans to reduce waste across the country.

The NGT has asked the chief secretaries to review their solid waste management actions within a month.

The tribunal directed them to remain present with their reports on different dates.

However, the NCT has made it clear that the chief secretaries cannot delegate the function and requirement of appearance before the tribunal to anyone else. Quoting the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report, NGT said that India generates over 1,50,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day, with Mumbai being the world’s fifth most waste generating city. “Only 83 per cent of waste was collected and less than 330 per cent was treated. According to the World Bank, India’s daily waste generation will reach 3,77,000 tonnes by 2025. Unless the problem is tackled, its impact on health and lives of citizens can be devastating. It is high time that stern measures are taken not only by those in charge of administering law themselves but also by educating and involving the public at large,” a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said.

The green panel directed the chief secretaries and administrators of all states and UTs to review the progress of these pressing issues and hold the first meeting within one month from Thursday itself.

The green panel asked all states to display on their websites and portals of their pollution control boards the progress made in complying with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016; Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.