Submit action plan on bio-stabilisation: NGT to EDMC

The National Green Tribunal office in New Delhi. Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal 

The National Green Tribunal on Friday directed the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to submit an action plan on the bio-stabilisation of the Ghazipur landfill site, where two people were recently killed when part of the dump collapsed. The bio-stabilisation is a process which converts all organic matters into useful compost. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the EDMC to sit together with the authorities and come up with the scheme of bio-stabilisation.

The green panel also directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to expedite the process of award of tenders for lifting of the segregated waste lying at the landfill site. During the hearing, the NHAI told the green body that it has lifted 30 tonnes of waste in the last two days from the site and would use the trash in building of roads.

The matter was fixed for next hearing on October 5. On September 1, a portion of the 45 metre high garbage dump in east Delhi’s Ghazipur had collapsed due to heavy rains, killing two people and pushing a car and three two- wheelers off the road, into a canal.

The tribunal had earlier come down heavily on the AAP government and the EDMC over the landfill collapse, saying “nothing can be more humiliating than people being killed under a garbage hill.” The green panel had issued notices directing them to show cause why punitive action should not be taken against the Delhi government and criminal proceedings not initiated against the erring EDMC officials over the “unfortunate” incident.