BJP responsible for Rs 900-crore fine slapped by NGT on Delhi government: AAP

The AAP blamed the BJP on Friday for the imposition of a Rs 900-crore fine by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the Delhi government for improper management of solid municipal waste and demanded that the civic body polls be held in the city “at the earliest”. Addressing a press conference here, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak said the people of the national capital will have to pay the price for the “inefficiency” of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which is run by the BJP.

There was no immediate reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the allegation levelled by the AAP.

“We demand that the MCD polls be held at the earliest so that the people of Delhi can oust the BJP from the civic body,” Pathak, who is the AAP’s MCD poll in-charge, said.

The NGT directed the Delhi government on Wednesday to pay Rs 900 crore as environmental compensation for improper management of solid municipal waste, observing that citizens cannot be faced with an emergency situation due to a lack of governance.

A bench headed by chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel noted that around 80 per cent of the three crore metric tonnes of legacy waste at the three landfill sites in the city — Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla — was not remediated.

The green panel said there was a serious violation of citizens’ rights and a failure of the public trust doctrine to protect the environment and public health by the authorities concerned.

“The steps taken so far do not meet the mandate of law and are not commensurate to the grim factual emergency situation, constantly threatening the safety and health of citizens and the environment with no accountability of the officers entrusted with the task,” it said.

Fixing the accountability of the state authorities for past violations, the bench said, “We hold the National Capital Territory of Delhi liable to pay environmental compensation of Rs 900 crore having regard to the quantity of undisposed waste, which is to the extent of three crore metric tonnes at the three landfill sites.”

The amount could be placed in a ring-fenced account to be operated under the directions of the Delhi chief secretary for the restoration of the environment by remediation of waste and other measures, the bench said.

It also directed the authorities to ensure that current waste is not added to the legacy waste sites and the waste is disposed of in accordance with norms.

“Due to the BJP-run MCD, the NGT has imposed a fine of Rs 900 crore on the people of Delhi. It is very unfortunate and a matter of shame. Due to the BJP’s inefficiency, its inability to do its work and corruption, the NGT has imposed the fine,” Pathak alleged.