Taking a serious note of Art of living event on Yamuna riverbed, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) of the Delhi Government has directed the organisation to prepare videos of the event on daily basis and ensure waste from toilets and kitchens are collected and transported through closed containers to sewage treatment plants.
It would be interesting to see whether these guidelines would be applicable for Urs and other Nirankari sammelan at Burari or Radha soami satsang event, said officials.
The DPCC has issued strict guidelines to the organisers that they would provide daily report pertaining to solid waste management, sewage management, source of water, extraction of groundwater from borewell and ambient air quality and other aspects.
As per guidelines, waste water from toilets and kitchens should be collected and transported through closed containers in the sewage treatment plant as per the permission granted by the Delhi Jal Board for treatment.
In other case, waste water either from the toilets or kitchen or other sources should not be disposed off into river Yamuna directly or indirectly.
The organisers should ensure adequate numbers of toilets so as to maintain hygienic conditions. It also directed event manager shall not release any enzyme in river or other water bodies.
A team of Ministry of Environment and Forest, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Delhi Government’s Environment Department and other senior officials of the Delhi Government inspected the site and preparations of the World Culture Festival and came out with strict guidelines. Interestingly, the DPCC has no such guidelines to deal with such cultural event.
On the solid waste, the guideline said adequate number of litter bins should be provided and to be periodically cleaned and the collected garbage should be transported in the closed containers at designated sites and this should be executed with due permission of respective municipal corporations.
“The event manager/authority should ensure that no waste is littered and should not be disposed of in river and on its bank. Further it should also be ensured that after the event, the entire area should be cleaned and free from waste,” the guidelines said.
According to guidelines, the extraction of groundwater from the borewell should be done in accordance with the permission granted by the concerned authority and proper log book to be maintained which should be submitted to DJB and Central Ground Water Authority to know the quality of water extracted. It would also maintain the records of water tankers to be provided.
The DPCC also directed the DDA to ensure that after the event the entire area should be cordoned/fenced and no encroachment should be permitted. Besides, it would be responsibility of DDA to take steps to green the area with appropriate vegetation and area should be developed as a biodiversity park having forest, water bodies and nature trails.
On the ambient air quality, the guidelines said the suppression of dust from unpaved roads and pathways, water sprinkling should be done but avoiding the flooding or inundation. The diesel used should be properly stored and should not be split. The diesel generator sets at the sites should be complying with the standards as prescribed as per noise notifications.