Team Herald
PANJIM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Principal Bench has rescheduled the personal appearance of Chief Secretary to January 25, 2021 after State failed to fill the gaps in information pertaining to the Solid Waste Management, sewerage waste and air pollution, that were submitted to the Green Bench, last year.
The Chief Secretary is among the 37 States and Union Territories, whose appearance has been scheduled from January 4, 2021 onwards to explain the steps being taken by the State government to comply with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
NGT Bench headed by Chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel has granted liberty of seeking online appearance in case the physical presence of the Chief Secretaries is not found viable; but has strictly ruled out delegating the responsibility to any other officer.
Last year, following directions of the NGT, the Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs had appeared before the Bench for their continuing non-compliance of the solid and liquid waste management rules adversely affecting the environment and public health.
During the hearing, directions include setting up of environmental cells directly under the Chief Secretaries (CSs), regular periodical monitoring by the CSs at the State level and by the District Magistrates at the District level and making atleast some cities, towns and villages compliant in the first instance and thereafter making the entire State compliant. Direction was also to take action for non-compliance by recovery of compensation or otherwise along with filing of quarterly reports by the CSs.
“The matter was reviewed on September 12, 2019 in the light of reports of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showing wide gaps in compliance of solid waste, plastic waste, bio-medical waste management, rejuvenation of identified polluted river stretches, polluted industrial clusters and non-attainment cities,” the Bench said.
“In view of the lockdown, further appearance of the Chief Secretaries could not take place and we accepted the prayer for deferring the presence of the Chief Secretaries,” it added.
