by Jagannath Poddar
The National Green Tribunal has warned the Vrindavan Municipality of stringent action if it provided wrong information to the court with regards to getting all the garbage entirely removed from the bank of Yamuna.
The Counsel appearing for the Vrindavan Nagar Palika had claimed, in front of the court on Tuesday that all the municipal solid waste dumped on the Yamuna flood plain near Tatiasthan and in the vicinity of the old landfill site had been removed and dumped in an earmarked site.
The court has warned the municipality of strong action the information is found to be false. “We make it clear that if we find the statement of the Executive Officer incorrect, we will be compelled to take appropriate action against him,” said the NGT bench chaired by Justice Swatanter Kumar.
The Green Court has also granted liberty to the applicant to go to the site and prepare a videography and submit it. The court has asked the case to be listed on 29th September.
Getting instruction from the court the petitioner Madhumangal Shukla went to the sites and took photos and video clips. He was shocked to find not only that no garbage had been removed from them, but that it was being covered with soil and mud. “It will become even more hazardous when the garbage is buried underground. It will not only pollute the river, but contaminate the underground water,” said Shukla.
The court has given two weeks time to the respondents who have not yet filed their response. Once all the parties file their reply then the court can hear the case properly. So far the Green Court has given some important orders, which banned the burning of garbage in Vrindavan and dumping it and other debris on the Yamuna flood plain.
Madhumangal Shukla is representing the Braj Vrindavan Heritage Alliance in the National Green Tribunal, in which the transfer of the landfill site to develop a wholesale market has been challenged.
