Two teams of the civic body, each with 12 officials, have started visiting integrated townships — considered bulk waste generators — to check their adherence to Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016.
The civic body may even write to the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) to cancel the completion certificates of the integrated societies that are found violating the waste management norms.
The SWM Rules make it compulsory for all residential societies, hotels, buildings, restaurants, and even shops, which generate more than 100 kg worth of civic waste per day, to set up processing plants for segregation of wet and dry garbage of their own.
“Most of the 12 integrated townships — a few of them come under the GDA — are not adhering to the waste management rules. Some of them, including Crossings Republik and Raj Nagar Extension, have hired third-party firms to dispose of the waste generated. These firms are disposing of the waste within the municipal limits, putting an additional load on the GMC. At several integrated societies, which come under the bulk generator category, we still have to go door-to-door for collecting wastes as they are yet to set up processing units of their own,” GMC health officer Mithilesh Kumar said.
Government offices and facilities like the IAF and railway stations, along with several integrated townships, generate nearly 150- 200 metric tonnes of waste daily. The city generates about 1,400 metric tonnes of solid waste daily. About 330 vehicles collect waste door-to-door at a primary level. This waste is then taken to 31 secondary collection centres from where it is transported to the civic body’s plants at Morta and Shahpur-Bahadurpur for processing.
Two years ago, Kumar said, the civic body had imposed fines on a few societies for not having their own waste processing units. “Now, around 66 societies in Vaishali and Vasundhara are managing their own waste. Some have tied up with NGOs to make organic fertilizers with the civic waste too,” Kumar said.
Ujjwal Mishra, president of the Federation of Crossings Republik apartment owners’ association said in 2021 almost all the societies in the township were fined Rs1 lakh for not adopting any waste management system. “None have paid the penalty. The societies, instead, hired an agency for collecting their waste,” he said.
Municipal commissioner Nitin Gaur confirmed the GMC ground teams has started inspecting the residential bulk generators, mostly integrated townships, and will submit their reports within a week. “We have also written to the GDA seeking a report on how colonies under the Authority were disposing of their waste. We have received complaints the GMC has been bearing the load of their (colonies under GDA) garbage as well,” Gaur said.
A society found violating the SWM Rules, Gaur said, may lose its completion certificate. “If societies don’t have a completion certificate, then environmental compensation will be imposed on them after FIRs are filed against respective builders,” Gaur said.
