WASTE PLANT’S POSSESSION TO REMAIN WITH CHANDIGARH MC

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday ordered status quo in the operation of Dadumajra garbage processing plant.

The order came on the plea of the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) that had challenged the June 19 decision of a Chandigarh court allowing plant’s operation by the Jaypee group, a private operator.

The MC had taken the plant’s possession on June 19 evening before the court order reached it. The high court has also appointed an arbitrator in the proceedings. The detailed order is awaited.

With the plant running much below its full capacity, resulting in dumping of the garbage in the open, the MC General House had terminated the contract with the firm and directed MC officials to take its possession in February this year.

The civic body had issued a termination notice on March 5, asking the firm to hand over the plant within a week. On this, the firm moved a Chandigarh court that ordered a stay for three months on March 12.

After the period elapsed on June 12, MC issued a 24-hour notice on June 18, and took over the plant on June 19.

The firm had moved a trial court on June 20 for restoration of possession. But the court refused to interfere.

In high court, MC argued that approximately 20,000 metric tonnes of waste was lying on the premises, increasing likelihood of pandemic-like situation during the rainy season.

In the last six months, the firm had processed only 60-70 metric tonnes per day on an average, despite clear directions of the National Green Tribunal to process 450 metric tonnes per day. As a result, the unprocessed waste was either being discarded in the dumping ground outside or being collected on the plant’s premises, the court was told by MC’s counsel, Deepali Puri.