SC seeks experts, environmentalists' report on reducing garbage at landfill sites

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a report of experts and environmentalist on reducing the gigantic mounds of garbage at the landfill sites at Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla here in national capital.

Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Monday told a bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta that he was regularly monitoring the situation and immediately after assuming office in 2016, he visited three landfill sites.

Efforts were on to tackle the problem of legacy mounds at three landfill sites in a comprehensive, safe and scientific manner, said Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the LG.

"Lt Governor directed all three (municipal) corporations to augment capacities of Waste-to-Energy plants for scientific disposal of current waste to reduce waste disposal at landfill sites and simultaneously take measures to tackle the problem of legacy mounds in a comprehensive, safe and scientific manner," Anand told the court.

Taking into note the records of the Lt Governor office that the garbage mound at Ghazipur had come down from 55 to 45 metres, the bench asked what will happen to the plastic beneath the 45 metres and what the Lt Governor intends to do about it.

The court asked senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, assisting the bench on the issue, to seek reports or alternate plan for disposal of waste especially at the three landfill sites of Delhi.

Earlier, the apex court expressed displeasure on the failure of Delhi Lt Governor, whom it termed "Superman", for not taking effective steps to tackle garbage problem in the city, after his office admitted that waste management comes within its jurisdiction.

The top court, hearing a matter related to implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, had earlier directed the Central government to file a chart indicating whether the states and union territories have constituted state-level advisory boards in accordance with the provisions of Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.

--IANS

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