NGT Takes Action On Pune’s Garbage Burning Issue, Orders Monthly Reviews and Public Updates
NGT Takes Action On Pune's Garbage Burning Issue, Orders Monthly Reviews and Public Updates
The measures to control NOx levels must be suggested within 15 days from the date of this order’s publication and implemented within the next 15 days
PUNE, July 13, 2024- In response to the rising concerns over garbage burning in Pune, the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has transferred the case to its Western Zone bench in Pune. This decision follows a suo-motu cognizance taken by the NGT, prompted by alarming reports of deteriorating air quality in the city.
The NGT (Western Zone) judicial member, Dinesh Kumar Singh, and expert member, Vijay Kulkarni, have directed the Deputy Commissioner of the Solid Waste Management Department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to conduct monthly reviews of garbage burning measures. The outcomes of these reviews and subsequent actions will be posted on the PMC website for public transparency.
The case, initially taken up by the NGT Principal Bench, consisted of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert members Dr. A. Senthil Vel and Dr. Afroz Ahmad in December 2023, was based on media reports about the frequent incidents of garbage burning contributing to air pollution. Local residents Ravindra Sinha and Pushkar Kulkarni, through their organization Citizens of Area Sabha, filed a petition via lawyer Ronita Bhattacharya.
Advocate Bhattacharya highlighted several chronic garbage burning hotspots, including the banks of streams and rivers, roadsides, service roads along highways, foothills, industrial areas, and open plots. She emphasized the need for identifying, mapping, and regularly monitoring these sites. Bhattacharya suggested the formation of a Joint Committee comprising stakeholders and experts from reputed institutions such as the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
The NGT acknowledged the challenge of monitoring garbage dumping across various localities and stressed the importance of involving field personnel in overseeing these activities. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) was directed to consider installing CCTVs to identify garbage burning incidents.
In an additional affidavit, the MPCB reported the installation of Continuous Ambient Air Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) at Savitribai Phule Pune University, Katraj Dairy, and Karve Road. Manual monitoring is conducted at MSEB Office, Nal Stop, and Swargate near the Traffic Police Chowky, with mobile monitoring at six locations. While air quality parameters like PM10, PM2.5, and SO2 were within prescribed limits, NOx levels exceeded the limit at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Garden on JM Road, Shivajinagar.
The NGT has mandated that measures to control NOx levels be suggested within 15 days from the order’s upload date, and these measures are to be implemented within the subsequent 15 days.
