High Court rejects plea for shifting site of proposed Panchkula waste treatment plant

They reasoned that the 13.24 acre site was in the middle of the city and close to Sector 24,26,27 and 28 on the south and Sectors 20 and 21 on the west side.

It was also submitted that Moginand village and Nada Sahib Gurdwara were also nearby.

The court observed that the proposal of the plant was at the final stage of approval and it was proposed to be constructed on Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis for which the request was still unapproved.

It also observed that the matter was at the stage of meeting the approval from Ministry of Environment and Forests of central government.

The order said,“Even the objections raised at the public hearing (held on April 9,2010) pertaining to environmental clearance (for the treatment plant) are under consideration. The objections raised by the petitioner are also incorporated in the aforesaid minutes of public hearing. It is obvious that the claim of the petitioner at this stage would be wholly premature. Accordingly,we dismiss the claim of the petitioner to this extent as premature at this stage.”

Another plea of the petitioners was for shifting of garbage dumping site,situated between Sector 23 and 25 of Panchkula,on which the High Court has issued notice to Haryana government.

The petitioners submitted that as per RTI information,the solid waste of the city was being dumped in Sector 23-25 without permission from Haryana Pollution Control Board (HPCB). The HPCB further says that it has issued a show cause notices to Municipal Corporation in this regard.

It was further submitted that the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) was asked to identify the area for dumping garbage approximately 2 km away from the residential area but in the present case the temporary dumping yard was adjoining to the residential sectors 23 and 25 as well to Gurdwara Nada Sahib.

It has also been pointed out that HUDA never allotted the present site to MC,which is dumping garbage,causing utter nuisance to residents and to those who travel by the adjoining road.