By RABINARAYAN JENA, OP
Bhubaneswar: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) over the alleged violation of waste management and environmental norms in the construction of a Micro Composting Centre (MCC) at Bharatpur.
The tribunal has directed the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) to take immediate legal action and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) in the matter. The direction was issued Wednesday while hearing a petition alleging that the MCC had been constructed on forest-classified land without obtaining the required environmental clearance.
The tribunal has directed the OSPCB to take all necessary steps in accordance with law and submit the ATR. The next hearing of the case has been scheduled for December 16, with the BMC directed to file its affidavit a day before the hearing.
According to the petition, the BMC constructed the MCC at Bharatpur without obtaining environmental clearance from the OSPCB. The facility has allegedly been set up on land classified as forest land. The petition also alleged that the MCC is located close to a residential area and has been contributing to noise pollution.
It further claimed that waste management norms have been completely disregarded at the facility and that the BMC had not even submitted an application to the OSPCB for the plant. The absence of basic environmental safeguards at the facility has allegedly resulted in foul odour and vector-related problems, the petitioner claimed.
According to the petitioner, the plant is located just 50–60 metres from residential houses, thereby posing a potential risk to nearby residents.