Garbage burning at Aima treatment plant irks residents

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, December 1

Despite a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order banning the burning of garbage in the country, waste is being burnt at the Aima garbage treatment plant daily. This is causing inconvenience to the residents of Palampur.

The NGT ordered all state governments to impose a fine of Rs 25,000 on those found violating the order. However, garbage burning has become a routine affair in Palampur, in the absence of any check.

Aima panchayat of Palampur, which was the first in the state to set up the garbage treatment plant, remained in news for its unique initiative. Many TV channels appreciated the initiative of the panchayat. Hundreds of panchayats representatives from all over the state even visited the plant. However, now the garbage treatment plant has become a major health hazard in the area.

The up-pradhan of Aima panchayat, Anish Nag, who is looking after the functioning of the treatment plant, admitted that waste was being burnt with the permission of higher authorities.

He said the plant had received garbage from the families of Covid-positive patients and the Civil Hospital, and to save the workers from catching infection, he had directed them to burn the garbage. Besides, one machine installed at the plant by the local Municipal Council was out of order. In the absence of the garbage treatment mechanism, he was left with no alternative except for burning the garbage.

He said the plant had the capacity to treat garbage of the panchayat areas only. However, it was receiving large-scale garbage from the Palampur MC, which owns no plant, adding extra load on the plant. The excess garbage was being set on fire, he said.

However, the smoke generated by garbage burning was causing various respiratory diseases, particularly among the aged and the children, residents said.

Despite repeated requests, no action had been initiated by the administration or the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to address the problem. As per the rules, garbage is to be treated in the plant or dumped scientifically, so that it does not cause any harm to human health.