The National Green Tribunal has recently directed immediate restoration of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium following the “chaotic aftermath” of last month’s Diljit Dosanjh concert, which left the stadium’s running track littered with trash.
Taking suo motu cognizance based on a news report, the tribunal noted violations of the Solid Waste Management Rules and the Environment Protection Act.
In its order dated November 19, an NGT bench led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, along with expert member A Senthil Vel, highlighted the extensive littering of broken glass bottles, beer cans, plastic wrappers, and other waste.
“The aftermath of the concert left the grounds in disarray, with athletes attempting to clean up but unable to manage due to the scale of the damage,” the order stated.
The stadium’s running track remained closed for about 10 days, forcing athletes to train on the less-maintained warmup track. The tribunal also noted that the absence of waste bins at the venue exacerbated the situation, leading attendees to discard items like pizza boxes, water bottles, and beer bottles directly onto the track.
Citing the significant delay in addressing the issue, the NGT instructed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to ensure that the stadium is fully restored to its pre-event condition. The cleanup, including the removal of all debris, must be completed within two weeks.
The concert, held on October 26 and 27, saw attendance of over 70,000 people, according to the Sports Authority of India.
