New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from authorities, including the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), regarding the blaze in the Bandhwari landfill site in Gurugram last week.

A fire broke out at the site along the Gurugram-Faridabad Road, days after a massive blaze erupted at the Ghazipur waste site in east Delhi. Waste collected by the civic bodies in Gurugram and Faridabad is dumped at the site.

Also Read | US Pizza Recall Alert: Frozen Meat Pizzas Distributed to Grocery Stores Including Walmart Recalled Due to Soy Allergy Risk.

The NGT was hearing the matter where it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a newspaper report regarding the fire.

A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the report claimed the combustion of methane gas could have caused the blaze and that there was an alleged lack of precautionary measures.

Also Read | What Is Mumps, Viral Infection on Rise in Delhi-NCR, Other States? Know Its Causes, Symptoms and Treatment.

"The news item raises substantial issues relating to the compliance of environmental norms particularly with respect to prevention of fire and landfill gas management," said the bench comprising expert member A Senthil Vel.

The tribunal impleaded as parties or respondents several authorities, including the MoEFCC, Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), and Gurugram's district magistrate (DM) and municipal corporation commissioner.

It noted that the counsel for the HSPCB, DM and commissioner sought four weeks to file their replies.

"Let notice be issued to MoEFCC, CAQM and CPCB for filing the response," the tribunal said in an order dated April 25.

The matter has been posted on July 18 for further proceedings.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)