Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Zone Bench, Bhopal has pulled up the Municipal Corporation and directed it to act against its officials for flouting the Solid Waste Management Rules at Adampur Chhavani area.
The tribunal came down heavily on the corporation for improper disposal and frequent open burning of waste in the Adampur Chhavani area.
The matter, brought before the NGT by petitioner Nitin Saxena, the bench observed that open burning of garbage is causing severe air pollution, posing a grave risk to both the local environment and public health.
It further noted that nearly 1.5 lakh cubic meters of legacy waste remains dumped at the old site, continuously releasing explosive gases like methane, which has led to recurring fire incidents.
The tribunal pointed out that while Bhopal generates around 600–700 tonnes of solid waste daily, the corporation has failed to implement effective scientific disposal methods.
It also criticized the BMC’s inaction despite a report submitted by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in January 2025.
Even after nine months, no major progress has been made and the corporation has not provided updates on the report’s recommendations, it stated.
In addition, the NGT found that the corporation and several transfer stations lack mandatory permissions such as “Consent to Establish (CTE)” and “Consent to Operate (CTO)” from the State Pollution Control Board (PCB). The PCB has been directed to clarify the status of these approvals.
The tribunal has instructed the BMC to fix accountability of responsible officials and ensure compliance with environmental laws. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for October 8, 2025.
