Hyderabad: Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) minister KT Rama Rao responded to the significant fine of Rs. 3,500 crore levied by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Telangana by saying there appeared to be a communication breakdown, as a result of which several initiatives implemented by the state government for solid and liquid waste management were not taken into consideration by the tribunal.
The minister stated that the state government will provide the NGT with a thorough explanation of the punishment in response to it here on Tuesday.
The green court was dealing with the issue of solid and liquid waste management as per orders of a 2014 Supreme Court ruling. The tribunal directed the State government to devise an operative mechanism by which service providers with due diligence process can execute work relating to solid and sewage management simultaneously throughout the State – all districts, cities and towns.
Considering the environmental compensation imposed for restoration dovetailed with the state budget and availability of confirmed sites, there should not be any difficulty in execution without delay, it reportedly added.
KTR said that when he verified with MAUD authorities, it was discovered that the NGT had not taken into account all of the steps taken by the state administration. For instance, a project for complete sewage disposal was ongoing in Hyderabad. To guarantee that all sewage was processed, a total of 1200 MLD worth of sewerage treatment facilities with a combined capacity of Rs. 3,866 crore were being built.
Officials claimed that a communication gap may have prevented such measures from being taken into account. The State administration will provide a thorough explanation of such matters, the Minister stated.
Due to the efficient separation of dry and wet garbage and the efficient usage of the trash in Sircilla, an SHG made up of roughly six women was earning Rs. 8.35 lakh per month. Wet garbage was turned into compost, while dry waste was recycled. The Minister said that this extra source of revenue for municipalities might be duplicated throughout the state.
