NGT monitoring committee directs Punjab officials to fix deadlines for waste management projects

PTI, Mar 28, 2022, 5:19 PM IST

Amonitoring committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday directed the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district administration in Punjab to fix deadlines for completion of solid waste management projects, sewage treatment plants and others works.

According to an official release, the committee held a meeting with top officials of the district administration, including Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal and heads of the Punjab Pollution Control Board and other key departments.

Justice (retired) Jasbir Singh is the chairman of the committee, and former chief secretary S C Aggarwal and renowned environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal are its members.

Justice Singh said that officials will have to fix the timeline of each component in the projects, including preparation of detailed project report, tendering, date of execution and completion, and the committee will also check the progress of the projects regularly by visiting the sites.

The committee also asked the officials to ensure construction of green belts and boundary walls around the solid waste management sites in the district. Besides, CCTV cameras must also be installed at dumping sites.

The members of the committee also asked the officials to mark collection centres of e-waste so that people can dump e-waste there. They also told them to set up stations for monitoring air pollution in the district, said the release.

The committee directed that all projects must be completed timely and asked the officials to give ”top priority” to the environment ”so that we can give a safe future to coming generations”.

Further, the committee told the police department to ensure SHOs have frequency metres to monitor the noise level in their areas.

The committee also exhorted people to start segregation of waste at home to help the administration in eliminating garbage dumping points in the district.

Deputy Commissioner Sarangal assured the committee that the district administration will adhere to guidelines fixed by the NGT and would ensure the directions were followed in letter and spirit.