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Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding solid waste management issues in Lakshadweep, 14/05/2019

  • 14/05/2019

Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 (Union Territory of Lakshadweep) dated 14/05/2019 regarding solid waste management and allied issues in Lakshadweep.

A status report filed before the Tribunal informs that forty four waste assessment workers and 330 sweepers are working under the Schemes ‘Sanitation, Health and Hygiene and “Non-Biodegradable waste Collection and Scientific Disposal”. The scheme is implemented through the casual labour sponsored by the respective Village Dweep Panchayats and is under the supervision of the officer of Department of Environment & Forest of the concerned Island. The new scheme Swachh Lakshadweep Abhiyan consists of 18 components and an amount of Rs. 7.45 crore was allotted for each of the component. Further, no plastic manufacturing units are working in the territory.

NGT says the steps required to be taken under Rule 22 of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 have not yet been fully completed. Also the steps taken for plastic waste management and bio-medical waste management are inadequate. Taking note of the articles published in the media, the Court said that until 2016 Lakshadweep had no Sewage Treatment Plant and discarded plastic was affecting the coral reefs while on land they hindered the root growth of coconut trees and rainwater circulation.

The NGT directs the Advisor to the Administrator to personally monitor the progress, atleast once in a month and ensure that the entire UT is made compliant with the environment norms within next six months. Also value of environmental degradation be estimated, prepare cost of restoration and compensation planned and recovered from polluters.