Ujjain Kumbh: SC stays HC order on award of contract to waste

The Supreme Court today stayed a Madhya Pradesh High Court order quashing the award of contract for collection of garbage in Ujjain to a Mumbai-based firm.
A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh allowed Mumbai-based firm Global Waste Management Cell Pvt Ltd to continue with its tender to collect and dispose garbage during the ongoing Ujjain kumbh.
The apex court passed the order on a plea by Ujjain Municipal Corporation which had challenged April 7 order of Madhya Pradesh High Court quashing the award of tender for collection of garbage in the holy city to a Mumbai-based firm.

Ujjain Municipal Corporation had contended that BVG India Ltd had challenged the award of the contract to Global Waste Management and the High Court "erroneously" quashed the contract.
"The quashing of the contract would have a crippling effect on Ujjain city during Simhastha and diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, dysen tery, cholera, conjunctivitis and aseptic meningitis may spread when there is such a large congregation of people without a mechanism for proper disposal of garbage," the civic body said.
The month-long Simhastha (Kumbh) mela began in Ujjain on April 22 and would end on May 21.
People from different corners of the country have converged in the holy city for the Simhastha mela, which is being held here after a gap of 12 years.