The National Green Tribunal has taken suo motu cognizance of the unauthorized dumping of medical and hazardous waste at a vacant plot in Farabari near Siliguri, West Bengal, allegedly from neighbouring Sikkim.
The original application is registered suo-motu on the basis of the news item dated November 12, 2024.
As per the article, the vacant plot where waste is being dumped is 50 metres from the boundary of the Baikunthapur forest, which poses risks to wildlife.
The article highlights the situation became more complicated when it was revealed that the owner of the plot had made arrangements with truck drivers for waste disposal without obtaining necessary clearance from local panchayat or other relevant authorities.
It is alleged that irresponsible dumping of waste is a source of inconvenience to residents and the environment. This adds to the issue of waste management in Siliguri.
The Principal Bench comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Judicial Member Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Dr A Senthil Vel has observed that the matter indicates a violation of the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The NGT has impleaded several respondents, including the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, State Pollution Control Board Sikkim, West Bengal Pollution Control Board, Central Pollution Control Board, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The tribunal has directed the respondents to file their responses by way of affidavit before the Eastern Zonal Bench of the NGT.
The matter has been transferred to the Eastern Zonal Bench, Kolkata, and is listed for hearing on January 30, 2025.
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