New Delhi: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in a matter related to the dumping of waste and overflowing garbage near two schools in south Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave.A local resident, Bhupendra Kumar Gupta, filed a plea in the tribunal alleging that the waste dumping site is located on Chaudhary Jhandu Singh Marg. A dump yard is just adjacent to the wall of the school, which is creating serious problems for the children going to these schools. The applicant claimed that the solid waste is overflowing and is causing severe pollution and emission of foul odours and is creating health hazards to thousands of children who are going to the school.A bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, in an order dated April 9, said, “MCD is directed to take appropriate remedial measures, and DPCC is directed to carry out the spot inspection and ascertain the status of garbage that is dumped in the dumping place in question. The respondents are directed to file their status report before the next date of hearing.” The matter will be next heard on July 14.In Aug last year, NGT upheld a Rs 25 lakh fine against the MCD for causing environmental harm for several decades to visually impaired students in west Delhi’s Raghubir Nagar. A dhalao run by MCD outside the school was a source of suffering for decades, as waste often spilt onto the road and near the school’s main gate, affecting students at Akhil Bhartiya Netrahin Sangh School.
