NGT pulls up Ludhiana MC

The monitoring committee of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to impose bank guarantees on the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) for failing to implement proper solid waste management measures in the city.

The guarantees will be encashed if the MC fails to complete the solid waste management projects within the set deadline. Further deadlines have been set for completing activities including source segregation of waste and treatment of legacy waste.

The Hindustan Times reports that, as per sources, a bank guarantee of ₹5 lakh has been imposed for failure to complete door-to-door collection of waste/garbage, ₹5 lakh for failure to construct boundary wall and establish green belt around Tajpur road main dumpsite and ₹5 lakh for failing to start treatment of over 20-lakh tone legacy waste at the main dumpsite.

Meanwhile, the Ludhiana civic body has started making compost pits in all the parks of the city. 278 compost pits have been made in 110 public parks to manage horticultural waste, as part of the city’s 2018 solid waste management policy. The city has a total of 870 public parks under MC jurisdiction.

Picture Credit: Kathuriarector, An Air View of Ludhiana, CC BY-SA 4.0