Shimla/ Manali, June 23
The Manali Municipal Corporation (MC) has appealed against a penalty of Rs 4.6 crore imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for contaminating the Beas River. The fine, levied on May 29, resulted from untreated leachate discharged from a waste management plant at Rangri, which the MC outsourced to a private company seven years ago.
Also read: NGT imposes 4.6 Cr fine on Manali MC for poor waste management
MC President Chaman Kapoor revealed that, under the outsourcing agreement, the company was responsible for treating waste and generating electricity from refuse-derived fuel (RDF). Despite producing RDF, the company has not installed the necessary machinery for the waste-to-energy plant. Several notices have been issued to the firm, and now the MC plans to cancel the agreement due to non-compliance.
Efforts to tackle the waste problem have faced significant hurdles. Of the 40,000 tonnes of legacy waste, 30,000 tonnes have been removed by another firm. However, new waste heaps continue to accumulate due to the large inflow of garbage. Currently, waste from many areas of Kullu is sent to the Manali RDF plant, with the Manali civic body receiving Rs 1 per kg of garbage due to inadequate waste management systems in most urban and rural areas.
The NGT’s order on June 19, 2017, and subsequent local protests led to the cessation of waste dumping at a yard in Pirdi near Kullu town from January 2, 2019. The MC’s plans to generate electricity from garbage have been delayed for years. The waste-to-energy plant project was conceived during the tenure of the previous elected body headed by Roop Chand Negi, which ended in 2015. The plant was expected to provide a sustainable solution to the municipal waste issue but has yet to materialize.
The civic body’s appeal in the Himachal Pradesh High Court aims to seek relief from the penalty and highlight the complexities involved in managing municipal waste effectively. The MC hopes that the court will consider the steps taken to address the issue and the challenges faced in executing the waste-to-energy project. As the appeal proceeds, the focus remains on finding a long-term solution to the persistent waste management problems in the region.
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