Observing that two consecutive affidavits filed by GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar were vague, Telangana High Court directed him to a file another with complete details, giving a time-bound plan to deal with waste disposal at Jawaharnagar dumping yard.
A division bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy, hearing a PIL plea on capping garbage at Jawaharnagar dumping yard, passed the direction. Picking holes in the two affidavits, the bench said the Commissioner had stated that GHMC established resource centres for collection of dry waste but failed to explain if they were existing. Efficiency of these centres too was not mentioned.
Barring simply stating that an awareness campaign on waste generation was launched, frequency of the programme and how people were being educated and its impact was not elaborated, the bench said. Under Swach Bharat Mission, litter bins were put up at commercial establishments and fines were being imposed on violators, the affidavit said.
Location of these bins and the fine imposed were not mentioned. How the fine amounts were used was also not explained, the bench said in its order. The Commissioner stated that waster pickers in GHMC jurisdiction were identified. They were given identity cards. However, points like how many waste pickers were there, what was their functional quality and how efficient their services were not stated, the bench noted. These waste pickers were provided with 2,500 vehicles for garbage collection but what area under GHMC these vehicles cover was not stated.
Except saying that GHMC prepared a solid waste management plan, there was no clarity in the affidavit as to how and where it was being implemented. The manner of implementation and its success rate was also not expressed, the bench remarked.
The State Level Advisory board constituted on July 7, 2017 had met only twice. In the past two years, it had not convened a meeting even once. “This is, indeed, a sorry state of affairs,” the bench observed. The State Level Committee to monitor implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules had not met once in past eight months.
Pyaranagar, Khanapur and Lakdaram were identified as alternative locations for Jawaharnagar dumping yard. But they were not in the possession of GHMC. These locations do not seem to be practically feasible. Hence, mere identification of alternative locations was meaningless, the bench said.
The hearing was posted for March 31.
