NGT asks Ghaziabad to pay for environment restoration

Following an application filed by the Resident Welfare Associations in Ghaziabad on the failure of the statutory authorities to manage the waste, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam to deposit interim compensation of Rs. 1 crore with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This will be utilised for the restoration of the environment, the NGT has said. The Nigam is free to recover the amount out of the salary of erring officers, the NGT order states.

The court has also asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to give an independent report on the issue of management of solid as well as liquid waste in the area in question before February 24, 2022. The report is required to mention the area of both the legacy sites reclaimed, quantity of waste bio-mined, routing of recovered material for further usage. 

In its order, the NGT used tough words against the Corporation:

This is yet another instance of disappointing performance of statutory authorities in scientifically managing the waste at Indirapuram, Vasundhara and Vaishali, Ghaziabad, to the prejudice of Rule of Law and the environment and public health. This is so inspite of continuous monitoring by this Tribunal for the last about three years... There appears to be failure of the higher authorities in taking action against the erring officers so as to enforce the right of the citizens to clean environment.