Aafrin Kidwai 
Representational image by Aafrin Kidwai
Legacy waste continues to be a serious problem and it is high time such sites are cleared and solid waste collected is disposed of scientifically, the National Green Tribunal has said.
Legacy waste has the potential to cause air, water, and land pollution, affecting public health, it said. “Huge valuable urban land is unnecessarily held up under the legacy waste. It is high time that all legacy waste sites are cleared and the solid waste generated and collected is scientifically disposed of to result in zero leftover waste at the end of the day, the NGT said.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel made these observations while dealing with a plea alleging illegal dumping of solid waste in Adampur village, Tehsil Wadim in Rajasthan’s Dholpur district which was affecting the Ramsagar pond and the soil of the area.
The tribunal said it is necessary to ascertain the latest status of compliance in Rajasthan and if steps taken concerning the legacy waste at Bari in Dholpur are considered a success, the state may consider replicating the model at other places.
The green panel said it is well known that the challenge of solid waste management is of universal nature and the NGT has dealt with the issue of non-compliance of statutory rules on the subject by various orders applicable throughout the country.
