Surat : A high-level inquiry demanded in fire incident at Khajod MSW site of Surat Municipal Corporation

Surat : The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is in a bind because of the massive fire that started at the solid waste disposal site in Khajod on Tuesday and has not been put out as of this writing, despite being only about 15 kilometres from Surat. Environmental groups have called for a thorough investigation into allegations of pollution act non compliance and the fraudulent disposal of solid waste.

Surat-based environmental NGO Parivartan Trust and Brakish Water Research Centre (BWRC) sent urgent emails to the Gujarat Government and the Ministry of Environment and Forest about the SMC authorities’ and contractors’ egregious breach of air pollution norms following the fire at the MSW site in Khajod. The MSW has been the subject of an application filed by the Parivartan Trust with the NGT’s Pune bench for failing to comply with various NG tribunal orders and for violating the Environment and Pollution Act.

A major fire broke out at the Khajod MSW site on Tuesday afternoon, Parivartan Trust president Prakash Contractor said. The SMC administration and fire department have done little to put out the blaze after 24 hours. MHS Shaikh, president of BWRC, said, “SMC is not disposing the MSW through scientific method and the officials and contractors are involved in the scam to make money out of the solid waste.” This has affected the residents of about six or seven nearby villages. The fire at Khajod requires an immediate and thorough investigation at the highest levels.