GUWAHATI, March 18 � The Kolkata-based Eastern Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Chief Secretary of Assam to file the action taken report on the alternative municipal solid waste (MSW) dumping site of Guwahati within five weeks from March 17, �as a last chance.�
The NGT Eastern Zone Bench directive came in connection with the Original Application No 19/2014/EZ (Rohit Choudhury versus Union of India and Others) on the issue of shifting the MSW dumping site from the famous Deepor Beel wetland.
The NGT Bench observed that despite its earlier direction passed on February 16, 2015, no supplementary reply in the form of affidavit relating to the issue concerning shifting of the dumping site of municipal solid wastes has been filed by the Chief Secretary of Assam.
It further observed, �� it appears to us that there is no proper co-ordination between Revenue Department and the other departments concerned of the State of Assam. As such, the Principal Secretary cum the Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department be added as party respondent No 7 in the proceeding.�
It needs mention here that advocate of the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) in her submission before the NGT Bench had stated that the Revenue Department had not given any alternative site for MSW dumping despite the correspondences and initiatives made by her clients to settle the issue.
The counsel of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Commissioner submitted that the GMC had no objection if such alternative dumping site is allotted to it for dumping the MSW.
