The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has initiated disciplinary action against two of its senior officials for alleged negligence in a major case of illegal waste dumping. Show-cause notices were issued on Friday to environment engineer Sharad Kaklotar and executive engineer Rakesh Modi.
Details of the Alleged Negligence
The action stems from the illegal dumping of approximately 500 truckloads of unprocessed municipal waste on private land near Kakaria village in Ambika taluka. This site is located around 80 km from Surat city. According to an SMC official, the dumped waste was unprocessed, which is not authorized for disposal in this manner. "Once waste is processed, it can be sold or supplied by the authorized agency. In this case, unprocessed waste was illegally dumped," the official stated.
The notices specify different lapses for each official. Sharad Kaklotar has been asked to explain failures in monitoring whether only processed waste was being transported from the city's waste processing plant. Rakesh Modi has been issued the notice for reportedly failing to initiate the tender process for waste management in a timely manner.
Wider Investigation and Penalties
This is not an isolated action. Earlier, show-cause notices were also served to officials from the solid waste department, including assistant engineer Mohsin Pathan, sanitary inspector Abbas Pathan, and sanitary sub-inspector Dipak Patel. These officials were posted at the waste processing facility and were responsible for overseeing the transportation of waste from the plant.
The issue came to light after local residents raised objections, prompting the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) to take cognizance. Following the GPCB's directions, the SMC imposed a hefty penalty of Rs 2.50 crore on the private agency responsible for the actual dumping. Authorities are also investigating the alarming possibility that biomedical waste may have been mixed with the dumped municipal refuse. A probe is ongoing to determine the full duration and extent of this illegal activity.
Ongoing Scrutiny and Accountability
The case highlights significant gaps in the monitoring and management of Surat's waste processing chain. The issuance of notices to engineers and inspectors indicates a scrutiny of the entire oversight mechanism, from the plant to the final disposal site. The SMC's actions, driven by the pollution control board's intervention, reflect an attempt to enforce accountability for environmental violations. The investigation continues to uncover more details about this serious breach of waste management protocols.
