1.90 lakh tones garbage landfills scars clean & green towns of Himachal : HPSPCB

 Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board sounded a warning calls to state urban bodies and department about increasing landfills polluting green landscape  More than one lakh 90 thousand tones of garbage are piled up in 15 cities of Himachal Pradesh while plastic is scattered haphazardly at 70 dumping sites. Credit goes to newly appointed chairman of HPSPCB Sanjay Gupta who is constantly monitoring the progress made by the authorities in this regard moreover it seems very hard to break long slumbered urban bodies to respond fast.  Now Board passed instructions to  Urban Development Department and the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department to take necessary action for scientific disposal of plastic waste dumped randomly. The Board’s cautioned the civic body that Rule 15 of the Solid Waste Management Rules – 2016 clearly lays down the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and village panchayats with regard to scientific disposal of solid waste generated and remediation of old waste sites. HPSPCB has said in its directive that 1 lakh 90 thousand 796 tones in Dharamshala, Mandi, Baddi, Solan, Kullu, Manali, Bilaspur, Una, Santokhgarh, Baijnath, Chuwadi, Dalhousie, Rewalsar, Sarkaghat and Hamirpur urban local bodies  There is waste material. The progress of waste treatment work in these urban bodies is very slow.  This is not in accordance with the time limit prescribed in the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Both  urban and rural development departments were directed to strictly follow the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.  The status of solid waste management is being closely monitored by the National Green Authority.  The Board has already adopted a policy of zero tolerance with regard to waste management by the Urban Local Bodies in the State. Urban bodies especially near the interstate border are also being alerted to check the banned poly carry bags as people and passengers are bringing them to state and its garbage are also piling up in the public places. Being Tourist stats the state civic bodies including Gram Panchayat and Municipalities should also keep strong vigil on public littering. Strays dogs and animal also beefing the menace as overfilled dustbins are not being cleared from public places in time. The wet garbage collection is still ineffective in the Tourist destinations as wastage or discarded food stuff attracting monkeys, wild and stray animals to feed on them. Municipal trucks and dumpers are throwing the garbage downstream around National Highway in Manali and Kullu. Shimla and Dharmshala smart cities also posing major problem for collections of garbage in tough topography and narrow roads and streets.