NGT members inspect dumping ground at Panchkula

The members of the National Green Tribunal were told by the residents that the corporation had not disclosed earlier to them when they bought the houses that the dumping ground is being set up there,and asked for its relocation to some other places.

Sources said that the members of the NGT,Devinder Agarwal and R C Triwedi,visited the site on Wednesday afternoon and interacted with the residents.

The residents asked to shift the site from its current location to some alternate place. Sources also added that following this,the NGT members assured the residents that they will look into their demand and inspected the two alternate sites in the city.

At one of the sites,sources added,a major portion of the land belongs to the government while the other site is a private land and the government has to procure it from the public. “The final decision on allowing the dumping ground at Sector 23 for use will rest with the Tribunal. There are issues involved with this,including the development of the new dumping site including the no objections involved as well as all the necessary administrative clearances that need to be taken,” said a government official.

He added that the final decision on the shifting of the site rests with the Tribunal.

The matter of shifting of the dumping site was refered to the NGT after a public interest litigation was filed by the residents of Sector 23 with the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the shifting of the site from the existing place.

Advocate Vijay Bansal,who filed the public interest litigation (PIL) with the High Court,said that he submitted before the members that the area is an eco-sensitive zone and the dumping ground should be shifted from there.

“The area is an eco-sensitive zone and a protected sanctuary is also near to it,besides it causes a lot of incoveniance to the residents,” he said.