Tribunal directs field-level monitoring, pollutant control measures, enhanced fines for garbage burning, and monthly public reviews to enforce air quality standards and waste management rules effectively.

ORDER

1. From the side of the applicants, learned counsel Ms. Ronita Bhattacharya has appeared and drawn our attention to the suggestions to be adopted by the relevant Authority to take care of the problem of garbage burning and pollution emitting out of it. The said suggestions have been filed on 15.04.2024, which are at pages 485 to 496 of the paper-book. In those suggestions, it is submitted that there are several chronic burning spots, such as the banks of streams and rivers, roadsides and service roads along highways, the foothills of hills and forest areas, scrap shops and scrap storage dump yards, industrial areas and open empty plots. According to her, these spots need to be identified, mapped and monitored regularly for which she says that a Joint Committee needs to be constituted, comprising representatives of (i)Divisional Commissioner, Pune, (ii) Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation and (iii) Regional Officer, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. Apart from this, experts from the reputed institutions such as Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune, may be coopted. Some members in the civil society may also be taken in the Committee as may be deemed appropriate by this Tribunal.

2. We are of the view that garbage dumping is a kind of activity, which may take place in any of the localities, monitoring of which would be difficult for the high level committee. The persons, who are working in the field, need to be asked to monitor on the garbage burning activity. We had also directed MPCB-respondent No.1 to submit an affidavit as to whether CCTVs can be installed in order to identify such kind of activities of garbage burning.

3. From the side of respondent No.1-MPCB, additional affidavit-in- reply dated 28.05.2024 has been filed, wherein it is recorded that they have installed CAAQMS (Continuous Ambient Air Monitoring Stations) at three locations i.e. Savitribai Phule Pune University, Katraj Dairy and Karve Road, Pune. Bsides that, manual monitoring is being done at two locations i.e. MSEB Office, Nal Stop and Swargate near Traffic Police Chowky. Besides that, it is also recorded that mobile monitoring is being done at six locations, which are mentioned in paragraph No.4 of the said affidavit. The air quality which is monitored as per the CPCB Notification dated 18.11.2009 and analysis results for parameters such as Particulate Matter i.e. PM , PM and SO are found to be within prescribed limit at the above locations which are mentioned in paragraph No.4 of the affidavit and NO is found exceeded at one location at Chhatrapati x Sambhaji Maharaj Garden, JM Road, Shivajinagar. We direct that necessary steps be taken for ensuring that NO also is brought within x control at the said location. The measures to be taken to bring NO x within control shall also be suggested within 15 days from the date of uploading of this order and those will be implemented within next 15 days.

4. Further it is mentioned in the aforesaid affidavit of respondent No.1 that PM , PM and NO are exceeding the limit prescribed in the10