Hiranya Barman
GUWAHATI, Feb 26: Residents adjacent to Deepor Beel were alarmed due to burning of waste at dumping site since February 15.
Concerned on the matter environment activist Pramod Kalita submitted a memorandum to Pollutiion Control Board.
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The memorandum stated that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the closure of the dumping ground in West Boragaon in 2021. However, from the first week of August, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has been dumping about 800 to 1,000 tonnes of rotten materials and plastic items, dead animals, etc. daily along the river banks of West Baragaon and Pamohi. They were also being dumped directly in flood prone areas.
The memorandum sought proper investigation and punishing the attempts to reduce the garbage by burning in the present dumping ground from February 15.
The memorandum further stated that the Ministry of environment, forest and climate change notification of Solid Waste Manage Rule, 2016 published in the Gazette, Schedule-1, (See rules 15(w), (zi), 16(1), (b)(e), 16 (4)) Criteria for Site selection (vii) published in Specification for Sanitary Landfills mentioned that a dumping ground should be located 100 meters from river shore, 200 meters from residential areas, NHs, public parks, wells etc. and 20 km from airports and Air Force bases. They should be at a distance subject to special permission 10-20 km.” And (ix) states that “A buffer zone of no development shall be maintained around solid waste processing and disposal facility, exceeding five tonnes per day. of installed capacity. This will be maintained with in the total area of the solid waste processing and disposal facility. The buffer zone shall be prescribed on a case to case basis by the local body in consultation with the concerned State Pollution Control Board”.
“The Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 No. 33 of 1989 (As Amended) Chapter II, Offences of Atrocities mentioned that 3. Punishment for Offences Atrocities -(i) Whoever, not being a member of a scheduled caste or a scheduled tribe dumps excreta, sewage, carcasses, or any other obnoxious substance in premises, or at the entrance of the premises, occupied by a member of a scheduled caste or a scheduled tribe; with intent to cause injury, insult or annoyance to any member of scheduled caste or schedule tribe, dumps excreta, waste matter, carcasses or any other obnoxious substance in his neighbourhood,” the memorandum stated.
Talking to The Hills Times Kalita wanted to know the degree of crime people of Pamhi, Moinakhorong, Maghwapara, Deshtal, Kalitapara, Chakardo, Azara and other villages have committed to face the wrath of GMC.
“They want to reduce the mountains of garbage by burning them in a way destructing biodiversity of Deepor Beel, making the residents of the entire area sick and depriving livestock farmers, fishermen and farmers of their livelihoods. There is not even a needle of garbage dumped from this entire area. In particular, the indigenous people living in this entire area are spending days and nights in a smelly and unhealthy environment, facing severe obstacles in the study, sports and other development of students and children, threatening the livelihoods of the poor. There is a risk of epidemics due to unhealthy environment, dumping ground and contaminated water from Guwahati city falling into Deepor beel,” he said.
