Three member ministerial committee to look into garbage disposal matter: Kejriwal

While addressing a press conference in the national capital on Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the formation of a three member ministerial committee to look into the matter of garbage disposal in the capital.

The announcement came after the Supreme Court on Friday hauled the Delhi government up and asked all concerned authorities to work for the timely disposal of garbage.

"Yesterday, the Supreme Court made an observation regarding garbage collection and garbage disposal. Though this is not the responsibility of the Delhi government, but the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), we look at this as an opportunity. If the Supreme Court is monitoring the situation, it will help in removing obstacles," Kejriwal said today.

"So, a three member ministerial committee has been formed, headed by Shri Satyendar Jain and the members are Environment Minister, Imran Hussain and Kapil Mishra ," he added.

The chief minister said that the three member committee will speak to all stakeholders, including the three MCD Commissioners on solid waste management, garbage management, garbage disposal and will submit a report by 10th November.

"Action will be implemented thereafter and any hindrances will be reported to the Supreme Court from time to time," he said.

Terming Delhi's garbage disposal problem as alarming, the Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the Delhi government. The apex court expressed serious concerns regarding over garbage piling up at landfill sites in the national capital.

"Forty-five meters of the height of garbage in places are alarming," the division bench, headed by Justice Madan Lokur said.

"People are dying" due to lack of proper disposal of waste, the court had also said on October 17.

The apex court objected to AAP government's plea that its MLAs should be kept apart from the sanitation drive as it is the job of local bodies.

"It's a bully who blames others for problems. Don't say MLAs have no responsibility in keeping the city clean. You have a large number of MLAs and you must ask them to spread awareness about keeping the city clean," the SC said.

"What are your plans to clear garbage?" the court asked the government. "You have to plan for the future. You don't have to react to a situation."

The apex court had earlier taken suo motu cognizance of the death of a seven-year-old boy, Avinash Rout, due to dengue last year after being allegedly denied treatment by five private hospitals and the subsequent suicide by his parents.

The court also noted that the garbage in the city can spread other diseases, including bird flu. The Delhi zoo has been recently shut down indefinitely after bird flu led to deaths of several migratory birds.