Why Delhi still not clean, HC asks MCDs

The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the municipal bodies why the city was still not clean despite their claims that they are making all efforts to keep the national capital's streets and colonies free of garbage and other waste.

"Why is Delhi still not clean," a bench of Justices G S Sistani and Jyoti Singh asked the three municipal corporations and directed them to file affidavits indicating how they intend to keep the city clean and also the number of safai karamchaaris, supervisors and senior officers in each zone along with their respective roles.

The direction from the bench came while hearing a PIL filed by late Lt Col B B Sharan seeking directions to the municipal corporations to ensure cleanliness in the city by ensuring the streets are swept and the drains are kept free of waste.

Similar directions were also issued by the court to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and other civic bodies regarding areas under its control.

The court also asked the corporations why their safai karamchaaris and supervisors were not doing their duties and why senior officers were not monitoring whether malba and garbage were being cleaned from the roads and dhalaos.

It further asked whether the senior officials of the MCDs regularly inspect all the areas under their jurisdiction, and not just posh colonies of the city, to ascertain if roads and bylanes were being regularly cleaned, were safai karamchaaris on duty and their working hours.

During the hearing, the court said the corporations should prepare a map of the roads, colonies and drains under their control and mark on them the workers and officials responsible for each stretch.

With the directions, the bench listed the matter for further hearing on August 24.