Adequate steps not taken against waste dumping in Yamuna at Vrindavan: NGT

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal Wednesday said adequate steps were not being taken against unregulated dumping of solid waste on the flood plains of the Yamuna in the temple town of Vrindavan.

The green panel noted that a report filed by the Urban Development Department, Uttar Pradesh, mentions that action has been taken against a Sanitary Inspector, Executive Officer and Chairman of Urban Local Body.

Such action can be hardly be held to be enough in the face of serious continued violation of rules for compliance of which statutory liability is also of higher authorities, said a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel.

Noting the recommendations of an oversight committee headed by a former high court judge, the green tribunal said the failure to take appropriate action will result in levy if fine.

It is clear that the steps taken so far are not adequate. The committee has found that arrangement for leachate collection has not been made, leachate drain was found choked, processing capacity is just enough to cater to the day to day processing and is unable to tackle the legacy waste, the bench said.

It said the recommendations of the committee that bio waste remediation must start, failing which compensation will be liable to be paid, establishment of proper functioning of decentralized plants, organic waste to compost plants, material recovery plants, use of bio-degradable cutlery are appropriate and need to be accepted and followed by the State authorities.