Kanpur stinks & spoils as NGT guidelines overlooked

KANPUR: As we know the National Green Tribunal is determined to bring improvement in the environmental condition, it has fielded as many as 23 judges to study the situation in the whole of the country. On Friday the solid waste management monitoring committee visited the city areas and found the grim situation. The panel president Justice (retd) D P Singh appeared deeply annoyed with the state of affairs and did not fail to indict the officers concerned in this regard. They had no genuine answer. The Tribunal’s guiding principles were not being followed which were pretty shameful.

Replying to various queries at the press conference held at the Circuit House in Cantonment area here, he maintained that the system was similar, even the officers were also the same but prevailing situation was totally different.

Was it because of political pressure or irresponsible attitude of the officials concerned? Justice (retd) Singh expressed that responsible officials were only carrying out formalities and nothing rewarding was available on the ground level. Schemes to make city clean and pollution free were in abundance but the reality was far different. He along with his team members visited at several areas which only brought annoyance on his face.

Looking over the poor conditions of the Hallet Hospital, he sought an answer from the hospital officers. Scattered wastes on the ground beside the Ward surprised him. MPCC supervisor’s negligence for allowing the garbage bag being filled with every type of waste caused scorn. He directed shifting of the garbage spot from the maternity ward. Insanitation was prevailing in the surgery ward also. Extra dustbins for the Operation theatre were required.

There was a strong risk of infection on account of these severe flaws. He was unhappy over the transfer policy of municipal commissioners within a time of six months. Depressed with the poor state of dumping ground at Bhauti, he directed for preparing a fresh course of action. He even indicated that the people were falling victim to the disease of cancer as a result.      

He ordered to avoid open garbage collection, thick plastic sheet barricading for the dumped garbage, and coverage of garbage with canvass & shade, hundred per cent door-to-door garbage collections, place three types of dustbin at parks, coverage of all open dumping spots within 45 days. He also directed to conduct checking of water sample at the Pandu River where the dumping ground was totally against the norms, he cleared.

During the inspection of the tanneries what annoyed him further saw power supply cut to the tanneries. Pollution Board appeared to have been completely inactive. Another member Justice (retd) Rajendra Singh also accompanied him.