Waste plant on Ggn ‘wetland’: NGT appointee visits site

GURGAON: Officials of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) officials and the state commissioner appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) visited Basai on Sunday to inspect the site proposed for setting up a plant for processing construction and demolition waste.

The visit assumes significance, as the NGT, in its last hearing, tasked Ravinder Kumar, the state commissioner, to take a call on whether the site proposed for the plant qualifies as a wetland.

According to MCG officials, Ravinder inspected the site where construction has been suspended since June in the light of claims that the plant is being built on a wetland and poses a risk to birds flocking to the area.

According to bird-watchers, around 280 species of birds have been spotted in Basai.

“During the spot visit, MCG officials presented their views before the NGT commissioner saying that the only source of water near the proposed plant was from a sewage treatment plant nearby. The commissioner will have the final word on the findings from the visit,” Sudhir Singh Chauhan, senior town planner, MCG, said.

A wetland’s source of water can be natural or artificial and could also be sewage water, processed or otherwise. MCG officials said Kumar will compile a report, based on his findings from the visit, and file it before NGT bench on its hearing on December 7.

MCG officials said with matter currently in the tribunal, the construction of the plant has not only been delayed but the dumping of construction waste at sites in Basai and Begumpur Khatola has also been stopped. IL&FS, the concessionaire of the plant which is also responsible for maintaining the designated dumping sites, cannot carry out any activity on these sites till the tribunal arrives at its judgment in the matter. “Until NGT’S judgment, construction at the site will remain suspended,” V Umashankar, MCG commissioner, said.