Haryana's Waste Crisis: NGT Slams Govt

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has strongly criticized the Haryana government's handling of solid and liquid waste management. The tribunal highlighted that the state faces a monumental challenge with nearly 30 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste remaining untreated, compounded by the daily addition of over 3,000 tonnes of fresh unprocessed waste.

Further concerns were raised regarding liquid waste, with the NGT noting that 982.8 million litres of sewage are discharged untreated daily. This untreated sewage, along with industrial effluent, is being dumped into major rivers, violating both the Water Act and a 2017 Supreme Court order. Several cities, including Gurgaon and Faridabad, were specifically named for discharging sewage into canals and drains.

The NGT also pointed out a lack of proper plans for soil and groundwater remediation at legacy waste sites and criticized the state's compliance report for missing crucial data. The tribunal has directed Haryana to prioritize source segregation, sanitary landfill development, and to ensure household sewer connections and STP upgrades are undertaken to address these pressing environmental issues.