The Delhi High Court on Thursday said the State-level advisory panel to monitor implementation of plastic waste management rules appeared to be “sleeping” as it allegedly did nothing to ensure compliance of rules.
A Bench of Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar expressed frustration over “wasting of time” by the panel, saying the committee never held a second meeting to ensure compliance of directions given by it in the first meeting held on September 6.
“So much time is being wasted. It is frustrating for us. If the court can spend time on something it is not required to do, you (committee) will not spend time on a job you are required to do,” the Bench asked the lawyer representing the panel.
Are they practicable?
The court said the rules were excellent on paper but “what would happen when the body (which has to enforce the rules) goes to sleep?”
“How will we rein-in the unruly departments or local authorities if you (panel) yourself are sleeping,” the Bench asked after which the lawyer for the committee said that a meeting would be held before the next date of hearing on November 9.
The court was hearing a PIL by Col (Retd) B.B. Sharan who has sought direction for maintaining cleanliness in Delhi.
Mr. Sharan, in a report filed on Thursday, told the Bench that when he carried out surprise checks to see if safai karamcharis were on the job, he found very few sweepers on the roads, particularly between 12pm to 3pm. - PTI
