Chandigarh, June 15
The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) has decided to crack the whip against industrial units flouting norms on the dumping of hazardous waste in the city.
Getting tough with the industrial units, the CPCC has served a three-month ultimatum on the industrial units to enter into an agreement with treatment, storage and disposal facility (TSDF) at Nimbuan (Dera Bassi) for the disposal of the hazardous waste. The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has recently allowed the local units to dump their industrial waste at the TSDF.
In absence of a common facility for transportation, treatment and disposal of the hazardous waste, the CPCC has allowed the units to dump the hazardous waste on their premises in 2005. However, with the development of the Nimbuan facility to tackle the hazardous waste menace, the CPCC authorised Ramky Enviro Engineers, the operator of the facility, to collect, transport and store the hazardous waste.
About 300 metric tonnes of hazardous waste was generated in Chandigarh annually, the quantity of such waste was to the tune of 36,000 metric tonnes. The Punjab Government, in collaboration with the state industry, had developed the Nimbuan plant to check the dumping of hazardous waste in the state which could pose a serious challenge to the environment.
Official sources said the committee had issued notices to units to comply with the Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 1989, within three months and submit the evidence to the CPCC. This would be mandatory for those units not having their own treatment and disposal arrangements.
According to new guidelines, the industrial units would have to sign an agreement with the TSDF promoters, the sources said, adding that strict action would be taken against the defaulters.
Statutory provisions
Under the rules, units generating hazardous waste will take all practical steps to ensure that such waste is properly handled and disposed of without any adverse effect which may result from such waste. The units are also responsible for collection, treatment, storage and disposal of waste either themselves or by an operator.