Dumping Inert Waste in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

• 06 Mar 2021

Why in News

The Supreme Court-mandated Ridge Management Board has decided to constitute an expert committee to look into the proposal of dumping inert (non-reactive) waste in the mines of Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary (Delhi).

Key Points

• Inert Waste:
  
  • Inert waste is waste which is neither biologically nor chemically reactive and is waste which will not decompose or decompose very slowly.
  • Inert waste includes, but is not limited to: construction and demolition material such as metal, wood, bricks, masonry and cement concrete; asphalt concrete; metal; tree branches; bottom ash from coal fired boilers; and waste coal fines from air pollution control equipment.
  • These wastes usually don't pose a threat to the environment, or the health of animals or other people and will not endanger the quality of watercourses.
  • However, when there is a large amount of this type of waste, it can become an issue as it begins to take up a lot of space.
• Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary:
  
  • Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary covering 32.71 sq km area lies on the Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli hill range, one of the oldest mountain systems of the world, on Delhi-Haryana border.
  • An area of 1km around the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in Gurugram and Faridabad is an Eco-sensitive zone.
    
    • Activities such as commercial mining, setting up of industries, and establishment of major hydro-electric projects are prohibited.
  • The Asola wildlife sanctuary has both floral and faunal diversity in form of
    
    • Wide variety of trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses.
    • Large numbers of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and dragonflies.
  • Sanctuary comprises around 200 species of resident and migratory birds.
  • Wildlife habitats inside the sanctuary act as a water recharge zone for Delhi, Faridabad and Gurugram.

• Ridge Management Board:
  
  • Background: The Supreme Court mandated the Delhi Government to constitute a Ridge Management Board for protection of the Delhi Ridge through their orders in the M.C. Mehta case 1987.
    
    • The Delhi Ridge is the northern extension of the Aravalli Range covering a distance of about 35km.
    • The Delhi Ridge acts as the green lungs of the capital and, through various government orders over the years, all construction has been banned in the Ridge in an effort to preserve it.
  • Date of Establishment: 6^th October 1995.
  • Members: The Chairman of the board is Chief Secretary of Delhi and Head of the Forest Department of Delhi Government is its Member Secretary.
    
    • The Board also has members from the Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs).

Source: IE