The order issued by National Green Tribunal (NGT) on December 22 putting ban on burning garbage in open, including at landfill sites to control the increasing air pollution and conserve environment is being flouted with impunity in the Capital.
Nobody is ready to take the blame and simply termed the act of burning garbage in open as mere lack of civic sense. For some lack of awareness among the residents is one major reason for infringing the set guidelines.
“lack of civic sense is the main cause for this. We have instructed all the labourers and are following the guidelines. To reduce it furthermore, the concept of dustbins has been now completely removed from 12 wards where Essel Infra has taken up the project. In winter, few people do burn garbage as an alternative to timber woods. It is all about the mindset that cannot be changed overnight. RMC will soon plan an awareness camp regarding this,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner, Vidyanand Sharma Pankaj.
Similarly, Essel Infra, AGM, Arun Kumar, added, “All the labourers associated with the company, and garbage handling have been instructed to collect garbage from each household, segregate the waste and dump it in the yard only. No workers from our company burn the thrashes along the roadside. If garbage stuffs are burned up in open, it is burned intentionally. We all are aware about the norms.”
Under NGT guidelines, any person or body found breaching the set guidelines will be liable to pay environmental compensation of Rs. 5,000 in case of simple burning, while Rs. 25,000 in case of burning bulk waste now.This apart, every State must follow the guidelines of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 on banning short-life Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and chlorinated plastics in stimulated period as well.
Furthermore, segregation of non-biodegradable waste and non-recyclable plastic is made mandatory for garbage collectors immediately after collecting garbage and must be utilized for construction of roads, embankments in all road projects.