NGT orders immediate action on Jamshedpur MLA Saryu Roy’s petition regarding Sonari garbage dump fire

Ranchi/Jamshedpur: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued strict directions to the Jharkhand Pollution Control Board (JPCB) and the Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum to immediately extinguish the fire at the Sonari garbage dump and address the pollution it has caused. In its order on December 11, 2024, the NGT instructed both authorities to file a personal affidavit detailing the steps taken to resolve the issue and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) before the next hearing on January 8, 2025. The hearing will take place at the NGT Kolkata Bench, presided over by Amit Sthalekar and Dr. Arun Verma.

This action follows a petition filed by Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy, who raised concerns about the inaction of the authorities regarding a previous NGT order. Roy, who had initially supported the petition of local resident K.S. Upadhyay (originally filed under petition number-05/23), pointed out that the order passed by NGT on April 5, 2023, had not been implemented by the Jharkhand Pollution Control Board and the East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner.

In the petition, Saryu Roy highlighted that the garbage dump at Sonari had continued to grow, with a large portion of it still on fire, worsening the pollution in the area. “The situation is becoming increasingly dire. Despite clear instructions from NGT, the authorities have failed to act. The garbage is still burning, and the pollution is affecting the lives of residents,” said MLA Saryu Roy.

Rai attached photographic evidence of the garbage dump and the on-going fire, along with media reports from local newspapers to support his claims. The NGT, upon reviewing the petition, emphasized that the fire must be extinguished immediately and the pollution controlled effectively. The next hearing of the matter is scheduled for January 8, 2025.