Delhi was recently reported to have ‘satisfactory’ levels of air pollution, however, the state of land population and dumping of garbage is still very underwhelming in the capital city. The Supreme Court on 17th August ordered the Lieutenant Governor General of the Union territory to look into the situation. It has also ordered the L-G to clear the garbage off several sites by taking the assistance of civil societies and resident welfare associations.
Justice Madan B Lokur heading a three-judge bench directed the L-G to look into the matter as the waste generated was frequently dumped outside the homes of underprivileged families endangering their living conditions. Justice Lokur had even challenged the authorities ‘to dump rubbish outside the Raj Niwas’, the official residence of the LG.
“The fact is that it is a serious problem which is getting out of hand. We want him to constitute a committee civil society as we require the assistance of the people of Delhi. We need their full cooperation. Let the LG take a call on it. He shall look in-depth into all aspects with a special focus on landfill sites,” stated the bench.
The Lieutenant Governor has also been directed with the task of getting rid of the city of garbage and clearing the landfill sites- at Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla. Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand who represented the LG this Friday has been asked ‘to take instructions on his readiness to form a committee and inform the court within a week.’
“Ad-hoc measures may not be enough… In our opinion issue of solid waste management will need co-operation of all in Delhi,” the court said.
The bench is hearing a case related to the garbage management in Delhi after receiving several complains about the poor waste management system. The already existing civic bodies in the city have failed to impress the court with their suggestions on waste management. A sanitation expert said the Delhi HC had formed a similar committee last year, underlining its task to make effective strategies and guidelines for implementation of solid waste management rules.