PUNE: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench has directed Pune municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao to show cause as to why action should not be taken against the civic authorities and why a penalty of Rs 2 crore should not be imposed on them for violating its order regarding an action plan for handling of waste at Uruli Devachi and Phursungi landfill sites The bench will hear the matter on Wednesday when Rao’s explanation is to be filed.“We are extremely disappointed by the manner in which the PMC has proceeded in the case,” the bench of Justice S P Wangdi and expert member Nagin Nanda said in an order on July 11. “The fact that no action plan has been filed before us in terms of the order passed on November 18, 2017 which was recorded on the submission made on behalf of the PMC amounts to gross violation of the order,” the bench added.The bench was hearing a plea filed in 2015 by Bhagwan Bhadale and other residents of the two villages against unscientific disposal of garbage at the two sites and the adverse impact of the same on the health of people and on the environment.During a PMC presentation at a consultative meeting on November 18, 2017, the NGT had directed the civic authorities to submit an action plan to deal with the legacy waste and to handle the mixed waste at the two sites on a reducing scale to put an end to the incoming waste within a time frame.The PMC then assured that it will consider the present status of the land and the prospective status of the waste generated within the extended limits of Pune city. It also assured of framing effective bylaws for handling and disposal of the solid waste generated in the city and, further, devise means to increase the capacity of the sites. The PMC undertook to submit the action plan by December 15, 2017.However, on July11, PMC’s lawyer told the tribunal that the action plan had not been filed and prayed that the corporation be permitted to file a status report. Suresh Jagtap, PMC’s deputy municipal commissioner, submitted that the corporation has called for Expression of Interest in respect of bio-mining of the legacy waste for both the sites on June 19 and that, the corporation has submitted the estimates for the works to the civic estimate committee on the same day and the latter’s approval is awaited.Bhadale’s lawyer Asim Sarode told TOI, “The bench appeared unimpressed by the submissions made on behalf of the PMC and observed that the civic authorities took the matter casually. They could have filed the action plan with the NGT registrar’s office, but did not do so.”

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