CMC officials will be booked for pollution, warns minister

The minister here on  Wednesday said: “We will direct the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to book criminal cases against any officials who ignore or fail to implement the municipal solid waste management rules.”

“As the cases will take years to come up for hearing in court, the verdict will be effective even if the erring officials has retired from service,” Palemar said.

Of the 219 CMCs in the State, 189 have acquired landfill sites and only 103 of them are operational. While land was an issue, many burnt solid waste out in open, said Environment Secretary Kanwar Pal.

He said only 50 per cent of municipal bodies have implemented solid waste management norms. A report will be released in two or three months on the state of environment in the State reviewing the pollution control agencies’ performance. He said the KSPCB has given permission to set up three power plants fuelled by solid waste. “All the three plants will generate 28 MW power out of 3,000 metric tonnes of garbage.

Nearly 95 per cent of Bangalore’s garbage will be supplied to these plants,” he said. Only one power plant with 8.6 MW capacity has reached the advanced stage, he added.