NGT Acts on Shillong's Waste Management Crisis

The National Green Tribunal has called for responses from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and related parties regarding the inefficiency in waste processing at Shillong's landfill, which is reducing its lifespan dramatically. This action follows a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India highlighting the issue.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has demanded answers from the North-East regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and other entities over waste processing inefficiencies in Shillong, Meghalaya's capital. This inefficiency is leading to severe environmental degradation in the city.

The situation came to light after the NGT took suo motu cognizance of a newspaper report wherein the Comptroller and Auditor General of India criticized the waste management strategies at Shillong, specifically targeting the Shillong Landfill Facility (SLF). The report pointed out the reduced operational lifespan of the landfill due to inefficient waste processing.

An NGT bench, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, noted that although the SLF, under the North Eastern Region Capital Cities Development Investment Program, was planned to function until 2029, it is already near capacity. With Phase I already maximized and Phase II rapidly filling, the facility is falling short of the original projections. The tribunal has ordered responses by November 28 to address the non-compliance with environmental standards.

(With inputs from agencies.)