NGT orders Mandi Board to submit affidavit on waste management
National Green Tribunal
(NGT) has directed the deputy general manager (DGM), Punjab Mandi Board to file a personal affidavit detailing daily waste generation, its treatment, and current volume of waste lying in the wholesale vegetable market in Ludhiana.
The report is to be submitted in two weeks.
The directive was issued during a hearing on July 10, after the DGM failed to provide satisfactory answers regarding the amount of solid waste at the site. The tribunal emphasised the need for transparency and accountability in managing waste generated in the market, which has become a persistent environmental concern.
The NGT also instructed the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to conduct a spot inspection to verify the quantity of untreated waste and assess the arrangements made by the Mandi Board for its disposal.
The next hearing is scheduled for August 21.
The case was originally filed in 2023 by Kapil Arora and Mohit Jain, members of the Public Action Committee (PAC), who raised concerns over frequent garbage dumping and burning in the wholesale vegetable market. Although a committee was formed to address the issue, petitioners submitted fresh evidence, including videos showing garbage being set on fire in April.
In its reply, the DGM admitted that 10,182.60 cubic meters of legacy waste—equivalent to over 8,000 metric tons—is lying in the market.
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The Board had entered into an agreement with the Municipal Corporation Ludhiana (MCL) to shift the waste to the Tajpur site, a move that violates the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The petitioners alleged that despite complaints, no action was taken by the PPCB or MCL, and the situation worsened after a change in contractor. The NGT has now demanded a detailed response from the DGM and directed all concerned authorities to take immediate remedial steps.
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