Ensure 100% waste segregation by Oct 31: NGT panel to Chandigarh MC

A panel set up by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the municipal corporation to fully implement the segregation of waste collected from door to door in Chandigarh by October 31.

The panel has also directed the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) to submit a compliance report on the issue.

Confirming the development, Debendra Dalai, member secretary, CPCC, said, “Directing the MC to implement door-to-door waste segregation in all wards by October 31, the panel has asked us to submit a report in the first week of November on whether the civic body has done so or not.”

The NGT, earlier this year, had entrusted the Justice Pritam Pal panel with reviewing solid waste management in Chandigarh and overseeing compliance of Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.

Also, the MC had been directed to ensure 100% waste segregation in the city by June 2020, which could not be implemented amid the pandemic.

Poor track record

Notably, Chandigarh failed to break into the top 10 in the Swachh Survekshan 2020 rankings mainly because of poor waste management.

The MC has a poor track record in waste collection, segregation and processing. More than 5 lakh tonne legacy waste is dumped at the Dadumajra dumping ground, and an additional 25,000 tonne is lying at the processing plant there.

The lack of waste segregation at source was one of the major disputes between the MC and the private firm that was earlier running the plant.

The civic body had drawn a lot of flak after a report of the Centre for Science and Environment on Solid Waste Management released by the Swachh Bharat Mission revealed that the MC had claimed 100% waste segregation at source in 24 of the 26 wards in the city.

The report stated that against 479 tonne waste produced in the city in a day, 455 tonne was processed daily. However, in reality, only 120 tonne is being processed.

‘Segregation to start soon’

MC commissioner KK Yadav said: “Our plan is to start segregation by the end of this month. As soon as we get 390 additional waste segregation vehicles, we will begin 100% segregation at source. A meeting of the Chandigarh Smart City Limited board has been scheduled for October 15 to finalise it.”

Currently, the civic body has 100 waste segregation vehicles, but many of these couldn’t be used because the segregation drive failed to kick off in many sectors.

“The NGT panel has its own deadlines, but if we face practical problems, we explain the situation to them,” said Yadav.