Public object to partnership with CII on draft waste management rules

by May 23, 2015 Environment
CII, an industry body, organised the government consultation programme. This attracted the dissent of the public and NGOs working in Bengaluru in the field of waste management.

Consultation on Draft Waste Management Rules-2015. Pic courtest: ESG.

The stakeholders consultation on Draft Waste Management Rules 2015 which was arranged by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) in the city on Friday, was called off as the public who were present raised objection over Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) sponsoring the consultation programme.

The programme witnessed heated arguments between the public, officials from MoEF and office-bearers of CII. Leo Saldanha from Environment Support Group (ESG) took exception to the CII sponsoring consultation of a draft proposed by the government.

“As per the constitutional provisions, the programme should have been organised by the government or any government agency rather outsourcing it to a lobbying group for industries like CII,” he said and questioned the legal sanctity of a consultation sponsored by a private organisation.

Citizens and representatives from NGOs flayed the Ministry for organising the consultation without extending them the invitation and not issuing public notice. “Is it that you wanted only the representatives from industries to participate?” a NGO member asked.

Srinivas, panchayat member from Mavallipura, while explaining the sad state of affairs of the village due to garbage landfill sites, asked why the consultation programme was organised in a such a place (Le Meridien hotel) where free entry for common man is restricted.

MoEF Joint Secretary Bishwanath Sinha though tried to convince the public, his attempts went futile. In fact, the officer could not give a clear answer as to why the Ministry has partnered with CII. At one point, he said the programme was open for all and then he went on to say that the consultation was for industrialists only as they are the main stakeholders. “The programme was originally meant for industries, but when we were approached by a few public who asked if they can attend the programme, I decided to make it open for all,” he clarified.

He added that the Ministry had decided to organise the consultation in partnership with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). “We have 550 days time before finalising the Rule and we intend to convene separate stakeholder meetings with public,” Sinha assured. However, he refused to pay heed to demand of the NGOs to oust CII from partnership. He called off the meeting.

Majority of the invitees were from industries such as automobile, cement, who had come from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Stakeholder consultations have been already held in Delhi and Mumbai.

Related Articles

Tell BDA it is unconstitutional for them to plan Bengaluru: ESG
Look who BBMP signed up to process waste in Bengaluru
How your apartment complex can be a waste-free zone
Lessons in e-waste management

Sections:

About Akshatha M

Akshatha M was a Staff Journalist at Citizen Matters. She tweets at @akshata1.
Read more by Akshatha M

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Garudachar palya: The “hot spot” in Whitefield’s IT Hub

by , , , , and October 30, 2024 Environment
Examining the heat island effect in densely built-up Garudachar Palya ward in Whitefield’s IT Hub, which also has limited tree cover.

Garudachar Palya is part of Mahadevapura constituency, with an area of 6.5 sq km, which includes four revenue villages — Garudachar Palya, Hoodi, Seegehalli, and Nallurahalli. These villages have stayed mostly the same, while the city has expanded around them with more organised development from the BDA. This mismatch has led to issues like narrow village lanes becoming crowded with traffic, as they’re now used as shortcuts to bypass main roads. Looking at population growth, between 2011 and 2024, the ward has seen an estimated increase of 62.24%. This rapid growth adds to the existing strain on infrastructure. Ward no…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Saving Dwarka Forest: Citizens approach apex court to protect forest land near Delhi airport

by October 22, 2024 Environment
Delhi’s Dwarka Forest has seen brazen destruction thanks to a railway redevelopment project. A recent SC stay order has raised hopes.

According to a recent World Bank report, India presently accounts for a meagre 1.8% of the global forest cover. Even more concerning is the fact that an enormous ‘46,759 acres of forest-land have been sanctioned for mining’ across the country, over the course of the last five years, by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) itself. According to many ace climate scientists and researchers, our planet has already hit “the tipping point”. In this backdrop, the people’s struggle to save Dwarka Forest, one of the last remaining natural forest lands in a choking capital city, is a…

Continue reading