Land for waste disposal:HC asks Delhi govt to expedite process

The Delhi High Court today directed the city government to remove encroachments and expedite the process of handing over land to municipal bodies for managing waste disposal.
A bench of Justice G S Sistani asked the Delhi government to take possession of about 110 acres of land in village Sultanpur Dabas here at the earliest in accordance with the law and also file a status report in three weeks.
"We direct the Delhi government and other departments concerned to ensure that all encroachments are removed and the land is acquired as early as possible," the bench said.
It asked the municipal bodies and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to file their respective affidavits regarding the progress in handing over of the two sites and listed the matter for further hearing on March 20.

During the hearing, senior counsel Maninder Acharya, appearing for North Municipal Corporation Department, informed the High Court that most portions of the area at Rani Khera have been required.
The Delhi government had on January 30 told the court that in Sweden substantial percentage of waste material is used for converting the same into energy and Sweden also imports waste material of approximately seven lakhs tonne per annum.
The court had then directed it to place on record the study material on the pattern of Sweden to enable it pass necessary directions in this regard so that the waste material in the city is utilised for the benefit of the citizens.

On July 10, 2014, the court had observed that "little headway" has been made by the civic bodies in acquiring land for the purpose of managing the garbage piling up in the city.