No illegal dumping of electrical, plastic and medical garbage in Delhi, High Court tells MCD

New Delhi [India], August 18 : The Delhi High Court in a judgement passed on Friday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to ensure strict compliance with the statutory provisions under the Environmental laws.
The court also directed the MCD to ensure that there is no illegal dumping of electrical, plastic and medical garbage in Delhi, contrary to the statutory provisions.
The bench of Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula has passed the judgement in respect of pollution in Mundka village and other villages arising out of dumping of electronic, plastic and medical garbage as well as discharge from other polluting industrial units.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is directed to conclude the action initiated by them against the violating units, against the units which are functional in non-industrial areas, against the units which are violating the norms laid down by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee within a period of four months, stated the Delhi High Court.
The Court noted that according to the MCD's status report, it is monitoring and keeping a check on industrial/factory units operating in non-conforming areas that is, non-industrial areas and residential areas, for closure of illegal factories of all trades.
The MCD (then erstwhile North Delhi Municipal Corporation) had initiated action by issuing challans and closure notices against all the units operating in non-conforming areas. After the issuance of closure notices, many of the units have already closed and have vacated the premises.
Further action against the rest of the units is in progress in non-conforming areas for sealing and the same shall be done at the earliest, noted the Court.
The corporation presently is taking up the closure of colouring or dyeing units in the area of Meethapur, Badarpur for which a survey by a Drone was carried out recently and the closure of such polluting units will take place at an early date, further noted the Court.
The Court also noted that MCD in their status report with regards to the disposal of plastic garbage has submitted that the same is sold by the industry operators to waste dealers or kabariwalas.
Further, industrial waste disposal systems through Effluent Treatment Plants are permitted by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to ensure that the chemical waste, fumes and polluted water is not released into the atmosphere and the treatment plant ensures its safe disposal.
In the aforesaid industrial areas, where the industrial units are running without a valid license, no illegal burning of plastic waste was found. No plastic or PVC wholesale market is situated in the areas under the jurisdiction of erstwhile North DMC, where usually mass burning of plastic or PVC waste is done, noted the Court.
These industrial units situated in the aforesaid areas are regulated and kept in check through pollution control norms implemented by DPCC. After obtaining the Pollution Control Certificate, the unit operators can apply for Municipal Factory License, Regular Challans are issued by DMC under Section 416 of the DMC Act, 1957 in case of unlicensed units.
The DMC issues Factory Licenses to industrial units only subject to the fulfilment of pollution norms and manages garbage collection and management of sanitary landfills.