CHANDIGARH: The issues pertaining to setting up of a solid waste management plant
at Jhuriwala village, near Panchkula, and shifting of a site for solid
waste from Sector 23 will now be decided by the National Green Tribunal.
It is a body constituted for effective and expeditious disposal of
cases relating to environmental protection. The Punjab and Haryana high
court on Wednesday referred both the issues to the tribunal for
adjudication. At present, the entire garbage of Panchkula is dumped in
Sector 23 because of which residents complain of foul smell.

A
division bench comprising Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice R K Jain
referred the matter following submissions of Union ministry of
environment and forest that a clearance for the plant near Panchkula has
been accorded on March 1 to executive engineer (XEN) of Haryana urban
development authority division of Panchkula. The counsel for the
ministry said an appeal against the clearance given by the ministry
would lie before the National Green Tribunal
within 30 days. Hearing this, the high court referred the matter to the
tribunal for hearing and asked it to fix a date of hearing and inform
all parties concerned.

The reply in the matter was filed by
MOE&F in response to orders of the high court passed on October 15,
2012, directing to examine the project by experts and find out whether
permission of the central empowerment committee is required or not.

The matter had reached the HC through the resident welfare association
of Sector 26 and Vijay Bansal, president of Shivalik Vikas Manch, who
prayed for relocation of the proposed site for construction of the solid
waste management system away from residential areas according to
Municipal Solid Wastes Rules, 2000. The petitioner had contended that
the 13.24 acre site was in the middle of the city and close to sectors
24, 26, 27 and 28 in the south and sectors 20 and 21 in the west of
Chandigarh.