Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding waste management at Bhagtanwala dump, Amritsar, Punjab, 01/04/2025
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of New item titled "Â major fire breaks out at Bhagtanwala Dump” appearing in The Tribune dated 11.05.2024 dated 01/04/2025.
The application, registered suo motu, the tribunal considered the issue of legacy waste which has been accumulated at Bhagtanwala garbage dump site which had resulted into the outbreak of a major fire.
The Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar in the affidavit dated January 29, 2025 has disclosed the status of accumulated legacy waste and its remediation. The report said that "approximately 4,20,000 Mt of legacy waste has been remediated out of 13,35,000 MT (12,00,000 MT at Bhagtanwala, 90,000 at Chabbal road, 45,000 MT at Chhehrata) of accumulated waste".
In respect of clearing the legacy waste, timeline has been given wherein phase 1 would end on May 31, 2025 and Phase 4 by May 31, 2026. The Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar as well as the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar appearing virtually have informed that the contract which was awarded to the agency for the treatment of daily generated waste and remediation of legacy waste has now been terminated and two separate contracts are being awarded, one for clearing legacy waste and the other for collection and remediation of daily generated waste. He has disclosed that about 500 MTD is generated within the Municipal Corporation limits of Amritsar.
The reply affidavit of the Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar dated February 21, 2025 disclosed that on the visit on November 19, 2024 approximately 11,50,000 MT legacy waste was found accumulated at the dump site and fresh waste was also being dumped in the legacy waste site meaning thereby quantum of legacy waste is increasing everyday with the dumping of daily generated untreated waste along with it.
The Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar has submitted that the timeline disclosed in the affidavit, January 29, 2025 would be duly adhered to and entire legacy waste at the dump site would be duly cleared within the said timeline.
The NGT directed the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar to file an undertaking in the form of an affidavit in this regard within two weeks. In that affidavit, he would also disclose the manner and mode of remediation of legacy waste and daily generated waste and utilization/use/disposal of the residue. The court has scheduled the next hearing of the case to August 4, 2025.