Munmun Kaur
Published On: February 17, 2022 at 15:43 IST
Recently, the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) at New Delhi took suo motu Cognizance of the lack of a solar waste management policy in India and directed the constitution of a Joint Committee to formulate such a policy.
The NGT took suo motu Cognizance based on an article published in the magazine ‘Down to Earth’ dated January 13, 2022, under the title ‘Times’s running out; Is India ready to handle 34,000 tonnes of Solar Waste by 2030?’. The article discussed India’s ambitious solar target which is 280 GW by 2030 and that it is high time to formulate a sound solar waste management policy. It also mentioned that India does not have a solar waste management policy.
The Bench of Justice Brijesh Sethi (judicial member) and Prof A Senthil Vel (technical member), directed the constitution of a Joint Committee to ascertain the factual position with regard to the issue. The joint committee will comprise of Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF & CC), and Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE). Further, the MoEF & CC will be the Nodal agency for coordination and compliance.
The Bench also said that the Joint Committee may meet within four weeks and undertake site visits, if required, and will look into the grievance. Further, the Joint Committee shall prepare an Action Plan with regards to environmentally sound management of solar panel waste in accordance with the laid down norms.
The Bench also asked the Committee to submit the action plan/report before the NGT within three months.
The matter is listed on May 24, 2022.
Also read: Landmark Judgements by NGT