Residents of Pauri town are hopeful of some improvement in the level of civic sanitation here after the Pauri municipal council recently told the National Green Tribunal that it would arrange land for garbage disposal within two weeks.

President of the Himalayan Environment and Employment Co-operative Society ltd, Pauri, Ashok Thapliyal had filed an application in the NGT in 2013 in which he had stated that there were public grievances about the municipal solid waste generated in Pauri being handled indiscriminately and being disposed off without following the Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2000.

During the hearing of this case in December 2013, the respondent Pauri municipal council had stated that it had taken steps to identify the garbage disposal sites around the city of Pauri namely Mandakhal and village Bakroli and that the proposal for utilisation of the said sites as land fill sites for municipal solid waste disposal were rejected by the Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board. 

After this, in subsequent hearings the municipal council stated that it was trying to search for land for the disposal of municipal waste. On the latest hearing held on July 23, the respondent stated that the council will arrange for the land for garbage disposal within two weeks.

Following this, the NGT strictly directed the municipal council to submit a statement to the effect that land for the

disposal of garbage and municipal waste products will be arranged for within 14 days, otherwise the NGT will deliver its judgement in the case.

It is worth mentioning here that improper disposal of garbage is a major problem in Pauri town. Despite repeated claims and promises by public representatives and Government officials, no proper

arrangement has been made to ensure that the municipal waste is disposed off as required by the law.