National Green Tribunal raps Dimapur Municipal Council over waste mismanagement
The National Green Tribunal has issued a notice to the Dimapur Municipal Council for alleged non-compliance of its directives.
- DIMAPUR — The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has
issued a notice to the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) for alleged
non-compliance with its earlier directions to address environmental and public
health concerns at the municipality’s dumping site located at Sunrise Colony,
Burma Camp.
- The notice was issued by the NGT’s Eastern Zone Bench in
Kolkata on April 8, following a complaint that the directions given in a 2023
judgement had not been followed. The tribunal has asked the DMC to respond
within four weeks, and the matter will be heard again on July 11.
- The case was originally filed by Sunrise Colony in 2022,
raising concerns about unscientific waste dumping and pollution risks to nearby
areas, especially the Dhansiri River.
- What the NGT ordered
in 2023
- Disposing of the original case on February 3, 2023, the NGT
laid out a comprehensive and time-bound plan for overhauling Dimapur’s solid
waste management practices, including infrastructure development, waste
relocation, and environmental protection.
- The tribunal directed the DMC to complete all bio-mining and
bio-remediation of the existing dumpsite by May 31, 2024, and file an affidavit
of compliance by July 1, 2024.
- The DMC was to submit a formal action plan by April 30,
2023, and begin waste segregation at source within a month if it was not
already underway.
- By May 31, 2023, the DMC was to construct a weighbridge,
concrete waste processing slab, and drainage system to prevent contamination.
- The NGT directed the construction of an Effluent Treatment
Plant (ETP) and a higher-capacity Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) by May
31, 2024, and instructed the Chief Secretary to expedite budget sanctioning.
- Further, the existing dumpsite was to be fully fenced,
especially on the side facing the Dhansiri River, to prevent contamination.
Additionally, a green belt and buffer zone were to be created by September 30,
2023, and CCTV cameras were to be installed by May 31, 2023.
