HC calls report from MCDs on implementation of solid waste management bye laws

The Delhi High Court today directed the three municipal corporations to file a status report on whether solid waste management (SWM) bye laws, framed on its directions, are being implemented in their areas.

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar also asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to submit a status report on implementation and inclusion of SWM bye laws framed under SWM Rules and listed the matter for further hearing on September 27.

"The three MCDs -- East, South and North -- to file status report whether bye laws are being implemented," the bench said.

The SWM Bye laws 2018 for the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) were notified by the Lieutenant Governor on January 15. The bye laws have been framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and not under the state municipal laws.

The court was hearing a PIL by Lt Col (retd) B B Sharan, who has sought directions to the civic bodies to keep the national capital clean.

The court also directed the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to take immediate steps and clean up the garbage spread in different parts of Dwarka.

It asked the SDMC to file a status report along with photographs after cleaning up the area.

The direction came after law student and Dwarka resident Ebbani Aggarwal, who has filed a PIL on the issue of lack of cleanliness and poor condition of roads as well as pavements in the sub-city, showed several photographs of garbage lying on roads and spread outside dhalaos ((local collection centres).

The court had earlier said the failure of municipal corporations to provide an efficient garbage removal mechanism was one of the main reasons for lack of cleanliness in the national capital, especially in Dwarka.

It had asked senior officials of the police department, municipal corporation and DDA to respond why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for not cleaning up Dwarka despite judicial orders.