The Hindu Business Line : Greens seek law to stop burning of non-fuel materials in open spaces

Dr Sivabrata Chatterjee, environmental consultant and former member of the Chief Minister's Advisory Group on Calcutta Leather Complex, said that judicial intervention was the only way to control this menace of burning rubbish at street corners and open spaces.

Kolkata April 4

SEVERE environmental pollution through mindless burning of non-fuel materials such as trash, plastics and tree leaves in street corners and protected open spaces has drawn severe flak from all sections of the population, including environmentalists.

This causes irreparable damage to the depleting large lung spaces in Kolkata city such as the Maidan and the Dhakuria Lakes, the environmentalists say.

Dr Sivabrata Chatterjee, environmental consultant and former member of the Chief Minister's Advisory Group on Calcutta Leather Complex, told Business Line here recently that judicial intervention was the only way this menace of burning rubbish at street corners and open spaces, especially at early mornings and late evenings when clean air was most necessary, could be controlled effectively.

Dr Chatterjee has already represented the matter to the West Bengal Government, particularly the State Environment Department, to consider issuance of a Notice under Section 19(5) of the Air Act 1981, as a first step to prohibit this obnoxious practice of burning of rubbish in open spaces in the State.

Expressing concern over burning of these non-fuel materials in the Kolkata Maidan area, which houses heritage sites such as the famed Victoria Memorial.

he said, according to Section 19(5) of the Act, "if the State Government, after consultation with the State Pollution Control Board, is of the opinion that the burning of any material (not being fuel) in any air pollution control area or part thereof may cause or is likely to cause air pollution, it may, by Notification in the Official Gazette, prohibit the burning of such material in such area or part thereof".

He informed that the `Howrah Ganatantrik Nagarik Samity', a NGO, had even moved a PIL before the Green Bench of the Calcutta High Court sometime back, praying for court's intervention to stop this `burning' issue.

He clarified that while the whole of India was a declared air pollution control area, the names of non-fuel materials have not been notified by any State Government so far. He said open burning of any material on bare ground not only causes air pollution but also damages the soil and leaves in its wake scorched earth.

Dr Chatterjee said he has prepared three separate lists of the different kinds of non-fuel materials that are being burnt inside city limits today, and which need to stop immediately.

He felt some open burning of 30 non-fuel materials, enumerated in List A, should be prohibited, and allowed only in approved appliances which are defined in Section 2 © of the Air Act.

As per the said section, approved appliance would mean any equipment or gadget used for burning of any combustible material or foe generating or consuming any fume, gas or particulate matter and approved by the State Pollution Control Board for purposes of the Air Act.

List B contains description of practices, which cause burning of fuel, generating undesirable environmental consequences.

Dr Chatterjee felt ceremonial fires may be allowed on paved surfaces in the open. List C enumerates practices, which are criminal offences under the IPC, read with the Criminal Procedure Code, Dowry Prohibition Act etc. These activites too cause air pollution, for which the offenders should be additionally punished under the Law.

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