Set up a panel to plan city garbage disposal: SC to LG

New Delhi: Supreme Court has asked LG Anil Baijal on August 17, Friday to form a committee consisting of experts and member of civil society to design a comprehensive framework to deal with garbage disposal in the capital and for putting a mechanism for solid waste management.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta said holding piled-up garbage on streets and overflowing landfill sites as very serious problems and they emphasised the need to take a holistic approach to address the problem and formulate a plan which could also followed by other cities.

According to justice Lokur, the committee should also deal with the issue related to cleaning up of landfill sites at Ghazipur, Okhla, and Bhalswa.

The court asked senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, assisting the bench in the matter, to suggest members from civil society.

“Solid waste management will need co-operation of all in Delhi, “the court said. The court had said earlier this month that Delhi is facing an “emergency situation” due to mountains of garbage.

Each day Delhi generates more than 10,500 tonnes of garbage and about 40% of its lands in the city’s four dumpsites. Three of out of these four landfills have run out of space but there are no alternative sites available to dispose of Delhi’s garbage, which is increasing by truckloads every day. It is estimated that Delhi will be generating 15,000 metric tonnes of garbage daily by 2021.

The court also noted that only 50% of 3,600 tonnes of garbage generated every day in south Delhi is processed and 1,800 tonnes was thrown on a landfill site on a daily basis. It asked the government to spell out plans for management of solid household waste. The court said people should be fined for not segregating recyclable waste from solid waste and a penalty should be imposed on them.

The bench is proceeding a case related to garbage management in the Capital and has remarked about the mountains of garbage piling up in Delhi. The three civic bodies in the city have no answer to argue with the court on its failure in managing the mess.

The issue of waste management had risen up when the court was hearing with a matter in which it had in 2015 taken cognisance of the death of a seven-year-old boy due to dengue.

The bench shifted the matter for August 27.