The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a directive to the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), demanding immediate and appropriate action against the Khoda Nagar Palika Parishad. This order comes in response to the illegal dumping of municipal solid waste in the Gaur Green Vista residential colony, located in Noida's Sector 62.
Residents' Petition Triggers NGT Intervention
On December 11, 2024, a bench led by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava and Expert Member A Senthil Vel disposed of two applications filed by local residents, Saurabh Sharma and Deepak Joshi. The petitioners had raised serious concerns about the illegal dumping of waste at Makanpur Colony in Sector 62A. They argued that despite the Nagar Palika's official claims of having cleared all legacy waste from the site, fresh and illegal dumping continued to plague the area, affecting the health and environment of the residential colony.
The tribunal, taking a stern view of the matter, has instructed the UPPCB to form a joint committee with the Khoda Nagar Palika Parishad and the Noida Authority. This committee has been mandated to conduct a thorough site inspection and ensure the removal of any remaining waste within a strict timeline of four weeks.
Contradictory Claims and Past Inspections
The case has seen conflicting reports from different authorities. Earlier, on September 24, 2024, the Nagar Palika had submitted an affidavit to the NGT asserting that the approximately 80,000 square meter site in Sector 62-A had been completely cleared of all legacy waste. The affidavit detailed that a massive 247,353 metric tonnes of legacy waste was processed, yielding 34,252 MT of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), 120,352 MT of compost, and 1,707 MT of construction and demolition waste.
Furthermore, the Nagar Palika claimed that the daily fresh waste of about 105 metric tonnes from Khoda is collected and transported to a processing facility in Village Nahal by Brij Enterprises, in compliance with the MSW Rules of 2016.
However, these claims were contradicted by the findings of a committee formed under an earlier NGT order from October 25, 2023. This committee conducted a site inspection on December 20, 2024, and found the allegations of ongoing illegal dumping to be true, prompting the latest directive from the green court.
NGT's Directive for Future Compliance
In its latest order, the NGT panel emphasized that the concerned authorities must ensure no waste is illegally dumped at the site in the future. The tribunal also safeguarded the rights of the applicants, stating that if any grievance arises subsequently, they are at liberty to approach the tribunal again for redressal.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges of municipal solid waste management in rapidly urbanizing areas of the National Capital Region. The NGT's proactive stance underscores the judicial system's role in enforcing environmental compliance and protecting the right of citizens to a clean and healthy living environment.
