NGT allows seer to videograph places where municipal waste is

Taking note of the indiscriminate dumping of municipal waste in the temple town of Vrindavan, the National Green Tribunal today directed a Hindu seer to videograph the places where such waste was being dumped.
The seer had approached the Tribunal against "illegal" and "unregulated" disposal of municipal solid waste in the city.
The direction came after the seer Madhumangal Shukla told the Tribunal that the local civic body's claim that the entire municipal solid waste which was dumped has been removed was farce.
"We make it clear that if we find the statement of the Executive Officer incorrect, we will be compelled to take appropriate action against him," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The green panel had earlier restrained Vrindavan municipal corporation from burning domestic waste in the open.
The Tribunal had earlier issued notices to the Environment Ministry, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and others while seeking their replies by May 25.

In his petition, the seer had said that the entire environment of Vrindavan is suffering due to lack of implementation of Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 as the garbage is disposed of carelessly in drains and on the banks of river Yamuna leading to clogging and stagnation.
"Yamuna in Vrindavan is being constantly tampered with by dumping and disposing of huge amounts of municipal solid wastes into the river, including Tatiya Sthan, Kalidaha, Shringarvat, etc.

"The situation has reached such an alarming state that in many instances the river has been pushed as far as 300-400 m away from the ghats and the illegal construction in the flood plain area has only worsened the crisis," the plea, filed through advocate Rahul Choudhary, had said.
Shukla has alleged that Vrindavan, which hosts over 5,000 temples, was being exposed to constant environmental deterioration due to the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities.
The plea had claimed that the only landfill site in the city has been sold to Mathura Mandi Samiti for setting up of a wholesale market resulting in reckless accumulation of garbage on streets.