People may have to 'dump' Delhi to make room for garbage: HC

Anguished over lack of cleanliness and hygiene in parts of Delhi, the high court here said today that the city will die if the situation does not improve as people may have to move out to make room for the increasing garbage.

The court warned authorities of stringent penal action if anyone dies or gets infected by vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya. It said if immediate action is not taken by the Centre, the Delhi government or the civic bodies, it will be forced to take strict action against all of them.

At least 12 cases of dengue have been reported in Delhi till April 7, according to a municipal report released on Monday, indicating early spread of the vector-borne disease.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar lamented that there appear to be "no sensitivity" towards health and entitlement of citizens to a clean environment.

The court said it was concerned with citizens's right to life. "No human or animal should be co-existing with garbage," it said, adding: "This is 21st Century India, you can't make people of Delhi live like this."