The Kerala High Court has directed the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Local Self-Government (LSG) department to come up with an alternative and viable proposal for solid waste management for all the municipal corporations of the State before April 11.
A Division Bench of the High Court consisting of Justices S. V. Bhatti and Basant Balaji issued the order while considering a suo motu writ petition following the Brahmapuram blaze of March 2.
The ACS and the District Collector, Ernakulam, shall invoke the powers available to them under the Disaster Management Act 2005 for the implementation and enforcement of Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016 in all the Local Self-Governments to prevent a disaster or for disaster management. The Tourism department, Tourism Development Corporation, tourist homes and Devaswom Boards shall be asked to comply with SWM Rules and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 in all the temples coming under their administration, the Bench directed.
The court said it will reserve its option of issuing appropriate directions for all places of religious importance in this regard.
Notifications highlighting the applicability of the SWM Rules to ecologically sensitive areas, tourist spots, pilgrim centres and beaches shall be issued. The District Collectors should place brief reports on solid waste management facilities in their jurisdiction, their functional efficacy and suitability for managing solid waste generated within their territorial jurisdiction during the next posting of the case, the Bench directed.
The court said it will verify the status of the implementation of the rules through the District Legal Services Authority.
The Bench directed the Kerala State Pollution Control Board to issue orders to respective Regional Officers of the Board to tabulate the number of local bodies in their territorial limits and serve notice to them on the collection of waste samples from the place of dumping and in the neighbourhood and file status report. Water samples from Periyar shall also be collected, the court directed.
