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

Vote for clean air, water security and nature conservation: Environment and civil society groups

by April 19, 2024 Environment
The youth of the country will bear the brunt of climate change impact in the absence of government action, say voluntary groups.

The country is going to the polls in one of the most keenly watched elections of all time, and a collective of 70 environment and civil society organisations have appealed to voters to assess the threat to the environment and ecology when they cast their votes in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. Here is what the organisations have said in a joint statement: As Indians prepare to vote in the Lok Sabha elections this year, it is very important to think of the future of our democracy, especially the youth and their right to clean air and water security in…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Sanjay Van saga: Forest or park, what does Delhi need?

by April 19, 2024 Environment
Rich in biodiversity, Sanjay Van in Delhi is a notified reserved forest. Here's why environmentalists fear it may soon be a thing of the past.

The Delhi Forest Department has officially notified the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) about reported tree cutting activities at Sanjay Van. The forest department's south division has verified the claim, citing an infringement of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA) 1994, due to the unauthorised felling of trees in Sanjay Van, Mehrauli, New Delhi. According to officials, the alleged incident came to light through the vigilance of environmental activists. The accusations stemmed from a volunteer organisation called "There is No Earth B," which conducts regular cleanup campaigns at Sanjay Van. With a volunteer base exceeding 1,500 individuals, the group engages…

Continue reading