Poor state of garbage management was found in Vrindavan during the surprise visit of the representative of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Saturday. The Municipality had earlier claimed in the Green Court that the waste management of the town was under control and was being effectively executed. Advocate Rahul Khurana was appointed local commissioner by the NGT, to submit a comprehensive report in relation to the collection, dumping, transportation and burning etc. of the municipal solid waste in the city with particular reference to the sites.

He made visits to the Principal Garbage Station situated near the 100 bedded hospital, Satellite dumping stations and the Yamuna Bank. He was accompanied by the Executive Officer, Shri Ram Asre Kamal and the petitioner Shri Madhumangal Shukla.  After almost six hours of investigation, Shri Rahul Khurana found the entire garbage management system was collapsing in Vrindavan.

Shri Khurana was disappointed with the foul smell coming out of the garbage. He found that the municipality didn’t make any effort to spray the foul smell deterrents. Moreover, the commissioner found that water was running into the garbage dumps from a water tanker at the landfill site.

He also found that the garbage was being burnt at Shringarvat. When Shri Khurana reached near Tatiasthan he found that the old garbage was covered under the soil, instead of having been shifted from the Yamuna bank. He found that the sewer water from two drains was spreading on the land on the Yamuna Flood Plain, where the garbage was being dumped.  

Considering the significance of the peacocks in Vraja, the U.P. Government has approved a proposal of the Peacock Conservation Centre in Vrindavan. The centre will be developed at the Van Chetana Kendra between Mathura and Vrindavan. The first installment of Rs. 10 lacs has also already been released by the U.P. Van Nigam to begin the work.

The District Magistrate Shri Rajesh Kumar had sent a proposal of Rs. 20 lacs for the development of the Peacock Conservation Centre, in two hectares land inside the Van Chetna Kendra. The Uttar Pradesh Van Nigam has approved it and sent 50 percent of the fund to the regional office of the forest department as the first installment.  The second proposal is prepared for three acres of land behind the Van Chetna Kendra, for which the proposal has been sent to the MoEF.

Benches and other facilities will be made available for people who visit the sanctuary.  The visitors will be restricted in some areas though.  A peacock rescue centre will also be developed inside the five hectare land, where the injured peacocks will be treated. A team of veterinary doctors will regularly visit the rescue centre.

It should be noted that the idea for the peacock sanctuary was first floated by the Braj Vrindavan Heritage Alliance in a meeting with the then Chief Development Officer, Shri Andra Vamsi, who was very inspired by the idea and had promised to realize it.