News Point: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is likely to issue a stay order to Noida Authority against further dumping of garbage on the makeshift dump yard in Sector 137 Noida.
Under pressure from the civil society of Noida Sector 137 the NGT is likely to issue the stay order to Noida Authority within a week against further dumping of garbage. However, the apex environment body is yet to take a call to issue judgment for the shifting of the dump yard to another location, a source with the NGT confirmed it with Track2Realty while requesting anonymity.
The National Green Tribunal will also ask the Noida Authority as to what are the plans of the development authority to shift this piling garbage, the above source shared. The authority will have to come up with a detailed plan to remove the health hazard that is polluting the air and is also a cause of water contamination in the region.
Once the Noida Authority responds to the NGT then only the green body will chalk out its next course of action. It has been only the last week that hundreds of residents coming out of the eight housing societies of Sector 137 came out to protest against the garbage dump in the neighbourhood.
The issue is also snowballing into a political controversy since the residents have approached the Noida Authority, NGT, and Noida MLA Pankaj Singh through various representations. A week back, 29th July, during the human chain protest the residents of the locality had raised slogans like “Modi Ka Swachh Abhiyaan Flop Hai Flop Hai” (Modi’s Swachh India campaign is a flop).
Since then various representations have reached to the NGT, the local MLA and Noida Authority on the issue. Founder President of Paras Tierea Apartment Owner Association, Gaurav Gupta who has also registered his complaint with the NGT says the fight is on till the dump yard is shifted. According to him, the response thus far has been symbolic than substantive on the part of the government agencies.
“I would welcome the NGT intervention and stay order on the dump yard as and when it is announced. However, this is just the first step in the right direction. Our fight is on till the time the dump yard is permanently shifted. We won’t be complacent with the marginal relief of stay order as the existing piles of garbage is also contaminating the ground water in the region,” says Gaurav.
HO Katiyar, a senior citizen in the area also echoes the similar sentiment when he says that as per the spirit of the law of natural justice the dump yard is in violation of our fundamental right to live in the locality. He points out that when the residents of the sector were buying the apartment with their hard earned money, this dump yard was nowhere in the planning of the region.
“The NGT also has to evaluate whether an environmental health hazard can be imposed upon the citizens who have paid not only to the builder but also to the government through taxes and stamp duty. The NGT must set a precedent on the issue now,” says Katiyar.
The NGT intervention might come as a relief to the thousands of residents of the locality. However, it is to be seen how Noida Authority would respond to the green tribunal call for a final solution. As of now, the Noida Authority does not have any plan of action and the proposed site for garbage dumping and recycling at Astroli is yet not ready.
The political promises to the representatives of the civil society and the green tribunal intervention nevertheless promises that the heat is on the Noida Authority to act fast over the issue.
By: Ravi Sinha
