The National Green Tribunal has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to stop indiscriminate dumping of municipal solid waste and debris on the Hindon floodplains.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the state government to immediately remove the garbage lying on the riverbed and restore the area to its original form and status.
"Counsel for State of UP submits that they would take all appropriate steps to ensure that the entire debris or any other waste dumped at the bank of river Hindon are removed and appropriate precautionary and preventive measures are taken without any further default and delay.
"We further direct that this order shall be subject to the orders that may be passed by the tribunal in Manoj Misra vs Union of India. The matter pending in relation to the cleaning and rejuvenation of Yamuna of which river Hindon is a tributary," the bench said.
The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by local resident Krishan Pal against reckless dumping of municipal solid waste near river Hindon in Ghaziabad.
He had alleged that despite NGT's order and undertaking given by the concerned authorities, "there was indiscriminate dumping of municipal solid waste and its continuous burning in various parks" across Ghaziabad.
Earlier, NGT had come down heavily on public authorities and said it was the "duty of the State" to ensure that municipal solid waste is properly collected, segregated, transported and taken to the dumping sites.
It had directed the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam to place dustbins to encourage people to dump the wastes and transporting them to a duly identified site.
"Any person or officer violating this condition shall be liable to pay instantaneously Rs 20,000 as environmental compensation and we permit all these authorities along with police authorities to impose this environmental compensation and recover the same," the bench had said.
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