The National Green Tribunal's (NGT) direction on dumping of malba (construction and demolition waste) on banks of the Yamuna has forced the civic body to swing into action. The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has marked 15 designated sites for dumping and violators will be slapped with a hefty penalty of Rs 5 lakh.
EDMC will issue a public notice later this week and will start enforcing the rule after that. "Eleven sites are in Shahadra South Zone, while the rest four are in Shahadra North. People will be informed about the exact locations through newspapers. Those found disobeying directions, shall be punished with a monetary fine of Rs 5 lakh for causing pollution and for the cost of removal of the debris from the site," said Yogendra Singh Mann, Director (Press & Information) of EDMC.
Among the colonies, where the identified sites fall, includes one each in Ashok Nagar, Saboli, Harsh Vihar, Gharoli, Mandawali, Shakarpur, Anand Vihar, IP Extension, Geeta Colony, Dharampura and Azad Nagar. Three other sites for dumping waste are in Mayur Vihar Phase - II.
Hearing a petition filed by Manoj Misra of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan on July 22, the NGT invoked the 'Polluter Pays' Principle to deal with the problem of pollution and dumping of debris on the banks of Yamuna and imposed a fine on offenders. The tribunal also ordered that anyone found disobeying the order will not only have to pay the fine, but also remove the debris and bear the removal cost.