NGT calls for report on dumping of solid waste in Vandalur Reserve Forest area
The Hindu
NGT calls for report on waste dumping in Vandalur Reserve Forest, emphasizing need for proper waste management solutions.
The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has called for a report from the Chengalpattu District Collector on dumping of solid waste inside Vandalur Reserve Forest boundary.
Hearing a petition filed by Balaji Thangavel, a resident of Vandalur, the Bench noted that if the local body is found responsible for failing to clear the heaps of waste, it will not hesitate to provide appropriate orders.
As per a report submitted by the District Forest Officer, Chennai Division, following an order by the Bench in an earlier hearing, the Vandalur Reserve Forest extends over an area of 1172.01 hectares, including the Arignar Anna Zoological Park.
The area mentioned by the petitioner is the 1.2-km-road on the northern boundary of the reserve forest from Perungalathur to Sadhanadapuram, Alapakkam, and Nedukundram villages. “In this stretch, the locals who make use of the road throw their household waste on the edge of the road, ie., the boundary of the Reserve Forest due to lack of waste disposal bins,” the DFO said in the report.
The report pointed out that the area is part of the spotted deer corridor as the deer from the forest cross the road, travel to Selaiyur via Air Force Station, Tambaram and return. The DFO said, once the proposed Eastern Bypass road is completed by the National Highways Authority of India, a compound wall will be constructed to protect the flora and fauna of the forest from anthropogenic pressures.
Noting that booking violators and awareness campaigns will not resolve the problem, the DFO requested the Bench to direct the District Collector to allot a proper site for the segregation of solid waste being generated in the area.
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