The National Green Tribunal has ordered the respondent Municipal Council, Pauri and others to make sure that the concerned officers of the Government and the Council are present before the tribunal during the next hearing slated on 2 September while dealing with a writ petition of Ashok Thapliyal, president of the Himalayan Environment and Employment Cooperative Society ltd, Pauri on Wednesday.
The National Green Tribunal Principal Bench, New Delhi had directed the respondent Municipal Council, Pauri to submit in writing within 14 days of the last hearing that the land meat for the disposal of garbage and waste products was rightly earmarked. The councillor of Municipal Council, Pauri had informed that the description of land would be submitted within the stipulated period.
However, Himalayan Environment and Employment Cooperative Society ltd, Pauri president, Ashok Thapliyal told The Pioneer that on 27 August, the councilor of municipal council had not submitted the affidavit regarding the information of the land meant for the disposal of garbage and municipal waste products. “But they gave information only about the number of the plots,” he added. The petitioner said to the tribunal that the garbage and MSW are being disposed off in the residential areas and panchayat forest well in the town Pauri.
Thapliyal had filed the petition in the NGT in 2013, in which it was stated that the people are agitated over the Municipal Solid Waste generated in the city of Pauri being indiscriminately disposed of without following the Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2000.
Mention worthy, improper disposal of garbage is a major problem in Pauri town. Despite repeated claims and promises by the Municipal Council president Yashpal Benam, nothing has come up on the ground to allay the fear of the common people over the matter.