Waste management: NGT orders inspection of Ranikhera site

The National Green Tribunal, which is looking into the issue of alternative landfill sites, today ordered inspection of land at Ranikhera near the Delhi- Haryana border, which was earmarked for dumping waste but was not used till now.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the officers of the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Jal Board, North Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd to visit the site tomorrow and apprise the tribunal about the status of the land.

"It is stated before us that the pieces of land which have been earmarked for setting up of landfill site and waste management plan are in four different pieces adjacent to Ranikhera. The land which is under DSIIDC is meant for industrial use and is presently lying vacant.
 

"We direct the officers to visit the site tomorrow and inform the tribunal in relation to the total land available under these 4 different segments..., the area thereof and status of the land," the bench said.

The tribunal's direction came while hearing a plea for setting up of additional landfill sites at all available locations which can be used for waste management.

After the recent Ghazipur landfill collapse, the tribunal is working on alternative sites for dumping of waste including the 50-acre site in Rani Khera located on the Delhi-Haryana border.

The site was identified by the corporation at least two years ago, but waste disposal couldn't begin because of the differences between the authorities.

The landfill sites at Bhalswa, Ghazipur and Okhla landfill are already over saturated.

The green panel had earlier slammed the Delhi government and the municipal corporations here over dumps of waste overflowing from various landfill sites in the city and sought a status report from them.

The tribunal had last year constituted a committee to look into the working of waste-to-energy plants in the national capital.

It had also asked Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee to approach the Delhi government to provide more landfill sites in the city and maintain them strictly in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016.