Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 28: The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) today informed the High Court that Srinagar Municipal Corporation’s disposal of solid waste over the decades is unscientific leading to degradation of ground water quality.
A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justice Hasnain Masoodi and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thankur while taking strong note of the unscientific waste disposal by the SMC, directed Registrar Judicial, Aijaz Ahmad Mir, to make spot inspection of the landfill site at Acchan in Srinagar where the SMC has been dumping solid waste for past three decades.
The Counsel for the SPCB informed the court that due to the unscientific treatment of solid municipal waste at Acchan land fill site in Srinagar, the ground water quality has degraded.
While directing the Registrar Judicial for spot inspection of the landfill site at Acchan, the DB said “In any case, it would be just and proper to direct the Registrar Judicial of the High Court wing in Srinagar to make a spot inspection and submit his report inter alia indicating whether any leachate continues to remain untreated and does not pass through the Leachate Treatment Plants (LTPs) installed at the landfill site.”
The counsel for the residents of Acchan locality pointed out that the ground water does not remain static and leachate from municipal waste leaches down and continues to degrade the water quality and non-treatment of leachate generated on the spot is another reason of water contamination.
The court observed: “It needs to be examined that whether all leachate generated passes through three LTPs or some of it still finds its way to ground water.”
The court also asked Registrar Judicial to notify the time and date of his inspection to the landfill site to the Counsel for the parties so that they remain present at the spot.
The High Court also directed Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) to ensure that the municipal waste carried by the SMC from households to the landfill site is put on high density polythene sheets and to cap the waste with a layer of soil immediately after dumping and dispose it off in accordance with the mechanism prescribed under rules.
The court sought supporting material from the Counsel of the petitioner regarding his claim about Acchan site having outlived its life for dumping and prayer for shifting it to somewhere else. The court also asked him to lay a motion regarding shifting of landfill site.
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