NGT launches suo motu proceedings over toxic waste at Dadumajra dump in Chandigarh
The NGT has now summoned several authorities, including the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC), deputy commissioner, and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), to file affidavits and responses at least one week before the next hearing, scheduled for November 3, 2025.
Meanwhile, ahead of the separate hearing planned in mid-September, an NGT inspection team comprising experts from the CPCB and other technical agencies is expected to visit Chandigarh in the third or fourth week of August. They will assess key sites, including the Dadumajra dump, sewage treatment plants, and stormwater drains.
Residents of the surrounding neighbourhoods have reported rising cases of respiratory illnesses, skin infections, and tuberculosis, attributing these to toxic runoff mixing with rainwater and seeping into residential areas. One local activist described the contaminated leachate as a 'cream of poison,' underlining the grave environmental threat.
MP Manish Tewari said that when the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs visited Chandigarh, the municipal corporation had assured that the dump, comprising both legacy and concurrent waste, would be cleared by June 2025. However, in its latest response in Parliament, the government said the deadline had been extended to July 31, subject to weather conditions.
Authorities had earlier committed to clearing the dump by May 31, but that deadline passed amid a large-scale fire at the site, which took over 1.25 lakh litres of water to extinguish. The revised July 31 target was also missed, with officials blaming persistent monsoon rains. Municipal Corporation officials maintain that accelerated bioremediation is in progress and that around 70–75 per cent of the third and final mound, amounting to nearly 2.4 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste, has already been processed.
Yet, visible heaps of waste remain, and the delay has contributed to Chandigarh slipping from the targeted 7-star rating in the Swachh Survekshan 'Garbage-Free City' rankings to just 3 stars.
In mid-July, the CPCC issued a show-cause notice to the Municipal Corporation over the leachate leak and directed urgent corrective measures to protect public health and the local ecosystem.
Separately, the municipal corporation has issued stern warnings to its contractor firms—Hindustan Steel Works Construction, Braithwaite Burn & Jessop, and Aakanksha Enterprises—threatening penalties if legacy waste processing is not completed promptly. Fines ranging from Rs 38 lakh to Rs 46 lakh have already been imposed on these agencies for delays and for failing to install site-monitoring cameras.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Indian Express
Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, examine PIL for ‘income-based' reservation system for SC, STs
The Supreme Court Monday agreed to examine a petition seeking income-based distribution of reservation benefits within the quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) so that the poorest among them get preference. The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Ramashankar Prajapati, a member of the OBC community, and Yamuna Prasad, who belongs to the SC community. The petitioners contended that the existing system, 'by failing to differentiate between the well-off and the economically deprived within these communities, has inadvertently perpetuated inequalities and hindered the true objectives of affirmative action.' Issuing notice to the Centre on the plea, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi told the petitioners that they 'must be ready to face lots of opposition' given that both sides have 'very strong opinions'. Appearing for the petitioners, Advocate Reena S Singh said they are 'requesting that reservation should be prioritised based on economic criteria'. 'We are not disturbing the percentage of the reservation…'. Singh submitted that justice is not only in the law but in ensuring that the person who receives help is the one who needs it the most. 'Reservations disproportionately benefited a select few' The petitioners said that by 'introducing an income-based prioritisation mechanism within SC, ST reservations, the proposed framework aims to prioritise opportunities for the most disadvantaged individuals amongst the SC-ST communities'. 'The necessity of such an approach stems from the fact that over the past 75 years, reservations have disproportionately benefited a select few within the reserved categories, creating intra-community economic disparities and failing to achieve holistic upliftment,' said the petition. 'The reservation system was established as a tool for social justice, aimed at rectifying centuries of discrimination and socio-economic deprivation faced by marginalised communities. However, the economic realities within SC, ST and OBC groups have significantly changed over time. A small percentage of families within these communities have gained access to quality education, stable employment and economic mobility, thereby securing a generational advantage. In contrast, a vast majority within SC, ST and OBC groups continue to struggle with financial hardships and lack of access to essential resources such as quality education, healthcare and employment opportunities.' The petitioners said the 'lack of an economic criterion within SC/ST reservations has enabled certain families to monopolise benefits over generations, while those in need struggle to break free from the cycle of poverty'. 'Despite the implementation of reservations for over seven decades, many individuals from SC/ST backgrounds continue to face severe economic hardships. The persistence of poverty within these communities indicates that affirmative action in its current form is insufficient to facilitate socio-economic upliftment without targeted economic interventions. They pointed out that a 'small but influential section of SC/ST families' has 'successfully leveraged reservations to attain high-ranking government positions, financial stability and quality education'. 'This has led to intra-community economic stratification, where the relatively affluent continue to benefit from reservations at the expense of those who remain in financial distress.' 'While political reservations have resulted in significant representation of SC/ST individuals in legislatures, the economic and educational benefits remain concentrated within privileged sections of these communities. The political empowerment of SC/ST leaders has not necessarily translated into widespread socio-economic development for the entire community.' 'Balanced approach' They said to address 'the systemic inefficiencies' of the current reservation policy, 'a balanced approach must be adopted, integrating an economic criterion within the existing framework'. 'A system similar to the 'creamy layer' concept in OBC reservations should be introduced for SC/ST reservations. This would ensure that only the genuinely disadvantaged sections of these communities continue to receive state support. Families exceeding a certain income and asset threshold should be excluded from availing reservation benefits, thereby preventing monopolisation of opportunities by relatively well-off individuals.' They also pointed out a few measure, including financial assistance to economically disadvantaged students 'to enable them to access quality education', specialised training programs 'to enhance the employability of individuals from the poorest sections of SC/ST communities', and that Government-backed initiatives should be 'designed to support entrepreneurship within marginalised communities ensuring economic self-sufficiency and reducing dependency on government employment.' The plea also referred to the August 2024 ruling of the Supreme Court's Constitution Bench, which said SCs can be sub-classified for the purpose of reservation
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh Heritage conservation committee ‘administrative fiction', has no legal basis: Tewari
Hours after the Centre confirmed that the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) was constituted by the UT administration in April 2012 with the approval of the Union ministry of home affairs, city MP Manish Tewari said the panel had no legal basis and was purely an 'administrative fiction created by an executive order'. 'A perusal of the answer makes it evident that the heritage conservation committee of Chandigarh has no basis in law,' said MP Manish Tewari. (HT) Responding to a query by Tewari on the legal status of the committee, during the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament on Monday, the Union ministry of culture only said that CHCC was constituted by the Chandigarh administration on April 20, 2012, following a nod by the ministry of home affairs in response to the report of the expert heritage committee, submitted by the administration. The Centre's response was silent on the committee's legal standing, which Tewari has been flagging for some time now, questioning whether the administration drew its authority to constitute the committee under Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, or the corresponding Punjab Act of 1964. 'A perusal of the answer makes it evident that the heritage conservation committee of Chandigarh has no basis in law,' said the MP. The committee is headed by the UT chief secretary and has experts from different fields, with a mandate to ensure proper conservation, preservation, restoration and maintenance of the enlisted heritage of the city. Any projects requiring architectural changes to the city's original plan and heritage require the committee's clearance. The panel's decision of not allowing re-densification in first 30 sectors, despite multiple representations from residents, has been criticised by a section of people. The decision was taken in the backdrop of a January 2023 judgment of Supreme Court, wherein it ruled that the first 30 sectors of Chandigarh carried the heritage status of Le Corbusier zone and, therefore, conversion of residential houses into floor-wise apartments cannot be permitted in these sectors. The SC had said the re-densification issue will be dealt with by the panel. However, Tewari has been arguing that these were only interim directions from the apex court till the panel reviewed the issue of re-densification of heritage sectors. The government in its reply also said the entire city of Chandigarh had not been declared as 'heritage'. The report of the expert heritage committee recommended heritage status to Phase 1 of the city, which comprises Sectors 1 to 30. A total of 13 heritage zones and heritage buildings have been identified in the report, graded as heritage grade I, Il and III, as per their historical and cultural significance and also their unique architectural value. The CHCC has till date held 25 meetings since its constitution and disposed of various sensitive issues concerning development/re-development of various projects in Sector 1 to 30, the government's reply reads. 'In short, the heritage conservation committee cannot become the final arbiter of Chandigarh's progress and development as it has no basis in law and has not been constituted pursuant to any Parliamentary enactment. Its remit must be circumscribed to the conservation of 13 heritage zones,' Tewari underlined, further adding that from Sector 30 onwards, no area carried heritage status, even according to the expert heritage committee.
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Residents' body moves NGT against Punjab govt's order
The Public Action Committee (PAC) has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the Punjab Government's order seeking ₹356 crore from the Forest Department and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). The committee said the move violates Supreme Court orders, the Compensatory Afforestation Act 2016, NGT directions, and guidelines of the Union ministry of environment, Forest and climate change (MoEFCC). The dispute arose after a meeting on August 7, chaired by the chief secretary, where various departments were directed to transfer ₹ 1,440 crore to the state's finance department. (HT Photo) The dispute arose after a meeting on August 7, chaired by the chief secretary, where various departments were directed to transfer ₹1,440 crore to the state's finance department. This included ₹84 crore from the Forest Department, ₹44 crore from the sale of fallen trees and ₹40 crore from unused land acquisition funds and ₹250 crore from PPCB's non-NGT funds. The Department of Environment was also asked to deposit ₹22 crore from Mission Tandarust Punjab. PAC members Kuldeep Singh Khaira and Jaskirat Singh said that under the law, Forest Department funds can only be used for activities such as compensatory afforestation, forest protection, wildlife management, and development of forest-related infrastructure. Similarly, PPCB, being an autonomous body, holds funds collected from environmental compensation, National Clean Air Programme grants, and fees from industries for consents, all of which are meant strictly for environmental protection and restoration. Environmental activists Kapil Arora added that diverting such funds for non-environmental purposes undermines sustainable development. They pointed out that environmental challenges in Punjab, including polluted water bodies, mismanaged legacy waste, and worsening air quality already require urgent attention and adequate resources. PAC members Gurpreet Plaha and Vikas Arora alleged that the state government has often sided with polluters and failed to act against violations, prioritising revenue over environmental health. 'Now, by targeting environmental funds, the government is further risking Punjab's ecological future,' they said. The PAC has urged the NGT to quash the order and restrain the Punjab government from making such demands in the future, calling the move 'unwarranted' and harmful to the state's environmental interests.
