February 04, 2026 : The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal, New Delhi, has ordered the constitution of a joint committee to investigate allegations of illegal waste dumping along a public road in Haryana’s Palwal district, following a complaint raised by a local resident.
The matter arose from a complaint filed by Gulab Singh through the Public Grievances Portal, which the Tribunal treated as an original application and registered as Original Application No. 40/2026. Invoking its suo motu jurisdiction, the Tribunal relied on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs Ankita Sinha to take cognisance of the environmental issues raised.
According to the complaint, an unauthorised dumping yard was allegedly established by a Municipal Council contractor on a privately rented plot along the road connecting Hodal Baksua Patti near Omveer Hospital on Punhana Road to Dadka village. The complaint alleged that the dumping activity was undertaken without statutory approval, resulted in damage to a Public Works Department road, and caused plastic waste to spread into adjoining agricultural fields.
The applicant claimed that polythene waste from the dumping site had damaged crops, created foul odour in the area, and made it difficult for farmers to work in their fields. The complaint sought strict legal action against the contractor to mitigate the environmental and public nuisance.
Although no appearance was made on behalf of the applicant during the hearing, the Tribunal observed that the allegations prima facie raised substantial questions relating to environmental protection and the implementation of laws listed under Schedule I of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
In view of the circumstances, the Bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi (Judicial Member) and Dr Afroz Ahmad (Expert Member) directed the formation of a joint committee consisting of representatives from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board and the District Magistrate Palwal.
The committee has been instructed to visit the site within two weeks, verify the factual position, examine the grievances raised, and suggest appropriate remedial measures in accordance with environmental laws. The committee must submit its report to the Tribunal within one month, with copies forwarded to concerned authorities for necessary action.
The District Magistrate, Palwal, has been designated as the nodal authority for coordination and compliance. The Tribunal further directed that action taken reports be filed within one month after receipt of the committee’s findings. It warned that failure to comply with the timelines could result in the imposition of exemplary costs on responsible officers.
The Tribunal disposed of the application while granting liberty to the applicant or affected parties to approach the Tribunal again if grievances persist after the submission of the report or action taken by authorities.
