National Green Tribunal pulls up Batala MC for poor waste management

Batala, June 14

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up the Batala Municipal Corporation (MC) for its poor garbage management which was leading to resentment amongst locals against the civic body.

A complaint against the MC was filed by the Public Action Committee (Mattewara), a consortium of NGOs working to resolve environmental issues in the state, in March.

The next date of hearing in the case is September 17.

The NGO and some local residents have joined hands to take up the problem of solid waste management in this industrial city.

On May 30, when the last hearing took place, the NGT had sent notices to the Punjab government, Batala MC and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). The Batala MC had come in for some sharp criticism from the NGT. The PPCB had also filed an adverse 28-page report against the working of the MC with the NGT.

MC Commissioner Shayarai Bhandari said she was looking into the matter and had set up several garbage vulnerable points in the city to ensure the town gets a clean look. “Clearing garbage is a continuous process. We are looking into this problem closely,” she said.

A reputed convent school also came under the scanner for violating solid waste management (SWM) norms due to burning of waste material on its premises. The PPCB informed the NGT that it had already imposed a penalty of Rs 5,000 on the school. The MC also informed the NGT bench that it had issued several warnings to the school.

Param Sunil Kaur, Kapil Dev and Jaskirat Singh, all members of PAC (Mattewara), claimed that Batala had the dubious distinction of performing badly on the solid waste management front. “Residents are organising a seminar on June 22 in which activists and experts will be invited as part of efforts to find a permanent solution to the menace,” said a PAC member.