The Delhi Lieutenant-Governor on Monday informed the Supreme Court that an expert committee will be constituted to deal with all aspects related to solid waste management in the Capital.
‘Serious issue’
A Bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur, S. Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta observed that the issue of solid waste management in Delhi was “serious” and said the committee will have to meet on a day-to-day basis to take stock of the situation.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, appearing for the L-G’s Office, and senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, placed before the Bench the names of persons who could be made members of the committee.
The ASG said that persons engaged in business enterprises or having any commercial interest should not be made members of the panel and the names suggested by them should also have people from the residents’ welfare associations (RWAs).
Outstation members
“How often are they [the committee] going to meet? They will have to meet every day...It [the meeting] has to be on a day-to-day basis. They have to visit the sites, find out what needs to be done. It will not be a bureaucratic kind of a committee. The issue is serious,” the Bench observed.
The Bench observed during the hearing that bureaucrats will be there on the committee and that the members should try to “work together” to deal with the serious issue.
The Bench asked Ms. Anand and Mr. Gonsalves to find out whether persons who are residing outside Delhi and whose names have been suggested for the committee can do this work on a day-to-day basis.
“They will have to come every day for meetings. You will have to give them office space. Almost 20 persons are there. It is a serious thing and not a one-time thing,” the Bench said.
Travel, hotel costs
Mr. Gonsalves told the court that he will find out from those residing outside Delhi whether they can attend these meetings daily.
At the fag end of the hearing, Mr. Gonsalves said travelling expenses and hotel costs for committee members who reside out of Delhi should be given.
The Bench fixed the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.
The top court had on August 17 asked the L-G to constitute a committee to go in-depth into all aspects of solid waste management in Delhi, including cleaning up of landfill sites at Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla, and framing of a workable and implementable policy.
The court had said the problem of solid waste in Delhi was “very critical” and cooperation of citizens was needed to deal with it.
‘Emergency situation’
The apex court had earlier said that Delhi was facing an “emergency situation” due to the mountains of garbage.
The issue of waste management had cropped up when the court was dealing with a 2015 matter, in which it had taken cognisance of the death of a seven-year-old boy due to dengue.
The victim had been allegedly denied treatment by five private hospitals here and his distraught parents had subsequently committed suicide.
