The National Green Tribunal has restricted the civic authorities in the national Capital from constructing garbage dumping sites (dhalao) near hospitals and institutional areas; a move aimed at ensuring hygiene in such public places.
The tribunal has also instructed the municipal corporations in the city to ensure that garbage does not remain dumped at these sites for long and also keep a strict check on garbage disposal at unauthorised places. The tribunal’s observation came while disposing of a petition seeking the removal of an under-construction garbage dumping site at an institutional area at Patparganj in East Delhi. The applicant, Delhi State Public School’s Management Association, had approached the tribunal against the civic agencies — East Delhi Municipal Corporation, Irrigation and Flood Control Department of Delhi Government and DDA and others claiming the institutional area is visited by a large number of students and public and dumping of garbage would affect the public health.
“It is directed that in future whenever the Municipal Corporations and other authorities decide to choose the place for the purpose of dumping yards, they should ensure that such places should not be near hospitals and schools where people gather in large number,” said a five-member tribunal in its order. It prohibited the corporation from going ahead with the construction of the disputed dumping site and ordered restoration of the site in its original position within three weeks.
“The municipal corporations shall see that in dumping yards, garbage is not retained for a long time and steps are taken for early removal of the same,” it said adding the civic body would also ensure the illegal dumping of garbage in other places unauthorisedly is prevented.
The petitioner in its application had contended that apart from the region regional office of the CBSE, the disputed site in the area also had five educational institutes namely Vivekanand International School, Mayo International School, National Victor Public School and Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya. “With the garbage dumping site coming up, the children attending these schools will be affected due to the unhealthy environment in the area. The dhalao in front of the school will not only create nuisance but also create parking problem,” it said adding it could lead to health problems if the garbage dumped there was not removed regularly.