Kullu Civic Body Violates Waste Rules, Pollutes River

A joint committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has uncovered significant environmental violations by the Kullu municipal council. The council is operating an unauthorised waste facility just 15-20 metres from the Sarvari rivulet, without obtaining the required environmental clearance. This facility poses a substantial risk as untreated leachate from decomposing garbage could flow into the rivulet during the monsoon season.

The committee's report also details the encroachment of nearly a quarter of Nehru Park for the waste facility's expansion. Construction activities, including an access road and foundation work, were underway before being halted by the NGT. The facility, intended as a segregation and recycling centre, was found to be a dumping ground for mixed waste with no functional segregation or scientific treatment infrastructure.

Despite the violations, which include an environmental compensation of Rs 29 lakh imposed by the Pollution Control Board, the committee recommended upgrading the existing facility due to a lack of alternative land. However, a representative from the Central Pollution Control Board cautioned against further encroachment into Nehru Park, advocating for scientific processing and compliance with buffer-zone norms.

The report mandates the Kullu civic body to obtain necessary authorisation, install proper waste processing machinery, and establish a fully compliant long-term solid waste management facility at an alternative location. The council has been directed to clear accumulated waste immediately and implement scientific processing safeguards.