NGT raps illegal dumping of waste along Siswan Road, asks PPCB to file compliance report within four weeks

The applicants were represented by Advocate Sunaina. The Bench was headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, chairperson of the panel, along with Dr A Senthil Vel, expert member of the panel.

The applicants alleged that the civic body had abandoned its earlier landfill site on Adhareda Road and, without obtaining statutory permissions, began dumping solid waste along Siswan Road close to residential areas posing serious risks to public health and the environment.

The application mentioned: “Dumping garbage near the colony has made our lives miserable. The foul smell and the spread of flies and mosquitoes have become unbearable, and diseases are now common in the area.”

They further stated that the impact of the dumping was not limited to Dashmesh Colony alone. Neighbouring areas including Radha Swami Satsang Ghar, Sunshine School, Guru Harkrishan School, Sunfield School, Crown City Colony, Rajindra Enclave, Imperial Colony, and several other localities are also affected, depending on wind direction.

The PPCB, in its inspection report, confirmed multiple violations at the site. The dumping area, spread over approximately five acres, was found to be located within 200 metres of a highway and a water body. It lacked a leachate treatment system, had no proper waste segregation mechanism, and contained mixed and plastic waste lying in the open. The presence of legacy waste and the site’s proximity to a flood plain further aggravated environmental concerns.

Taking note of these violations, January 20, the PPCB imposed environmental compensation exceeding Rs 80 lakh on MC Kurali and directed the Municipal Council to submit a time-bound action plan within 15 days.

However, the NGT observed that despite “continued violations”, effective steps to recover the compensation or initiate action against responsible officials had not been taken.

The tribunal’s intervention has brought renewed hope to residents who say their voices were buried under garbage for years. The matter is now listed for further hearing on April 28.