Criticising the lacklustre attitude shown by authorities to clean up landfill sites in the National Capital, the Supreme Court said that Delhi could have been a model for the rest of the country in solid waste management.
A Bench led by Justice Madan B. Lokur pointed out that there is strong support at the residents’ level for segregation, composting and clearing up the garbage rotting at Bhalsawa, Ghazipur and Okhla landfills, yet there is no action.
The court recorded that a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Delhi Chief Secretary on October 31, 2016 with the Municipal commissioners, MLAs of Bhalsawa, Okhla and Ghazipur and other stakeholders in Delhi.
“In the minutes of the meeting, it is further recorded that a Committee of Persons with the Health Minister of Delhi, Mr. Satinder Jain, as Chairman is required to make a policy regarding waste disposal... Learned counsel appearing on behalf of Government of NCT of Delhi is unable to tell us why no steps have been taken in this regard,” the top court recorded in its order dated December 12.
The court also noted the support for the clean-up offered by the CEO of United Residents Joint Action, the apex body of RWAs in Delhi, who said that segregation should be done at the colony level. It said the issue of solid waste management is present in almost every large city in the country.
“It is suggested that Delhi could be a model which could be replicated in the other parts of the country, but if the authorities in Delhi themselves take no interest, we are afraid that the model will be a complete failure,” the court said, asking Mr. Jain to urgently call a meeting of the body which he is chairing with regard to solid waste management.
