Chandigarh MC to challenge NGT order

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 7

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has decided to challenge the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order directing the Shimla civic body to send garbage to the former’s processing plant at Dadu Majra.

The MC has also issued a notice to Jaiprakash Associates Limited, which runs the garbage processing plant at Dadu Majra, for accepting the garbage sent by the Shimla MC without any approval from the Chandigarh MC or the General House.

Besides, the Chandigarh MC has also written to the Shimla Municipal Corporation to provide a copy of the NGT order before sending garbage trucks from the hill state to the City Beautiful.

The NGT passed the order on October 1 following the closure of the solid waste management plant at Bhariyal on the outskirts of Shimla. On a daily basis, about 70 to 80 tonnes of solid waste is collected from households in 25 wards of the city.

The garbage processing plant at Dadu Majra received 11 tonnes of garbage on October 6 and 6 tonnes today. Besides, two trucks stationed outside the plant will be unloaded tomorrow.

Chandigarh MC Commissioner Bhawna Garg said as per the agreement between Chandigarh MC and Jaypee Group, the processing plant would only accept garbage from the Chandigarh MC.

The Chandigarh MC said it was not a party in the case and that its case was not presented before the NGT in a proper manner.

The Jaypee Group did not take any approval from the Chandigarh MC before accepting the garbage. “On the next date of hearing in the NGT, the Chandigarh MC will also present its case,” Garg said.

“It will be not easy for us to process the garbage,” Garg said.

RD Sharma, in charge of the garbage processing plant in Chandigarh, said: “Our plant has the capacity to process 500 metric tonnes daily and at present, 250 metric tonnes of garbage is being received from the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation every day.”