Delhi garbage dump: Report prepared by panel appointed by L-G ‘cosmetic’, says SC

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 16 

Terming as “cosmetic” a report prepared by an expert committee appointed by the Delhi Lt Governor to deal with mountains of garbage in the capital, the Supreme Court on Monday asked another panel to examine the issue and suggest a practical solution to the “gigantic” solid waste problem.

After perusing the report, a Bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta said, “It’s all cosmetic. It will look green but toxic waste will remain there. You are not segregating the plastic waste.”

The report had suggested compressing and compacting of garbage at three landfill sites in Delhi – Ghazipur, Bhalaswa and Okhla — which was objected to by amicus curiae Colin Gonsalves, who said it could be handled in a better manner using some other technique.

Gonsalves praised the Central Government’s Swachh Bharat Mission in dealing with solid waste problem in various parts of India.

Attorney General Pinky Anand told the Bench that there was no complete solution to the problem and what had been suggested in the report may not be the best but it was the most feasible solution.

She said it would be utopian to think that garbage could be completely got rid of.

As Gonsalves said there were better ways to deal with the problem, the Bench asked him to get a report prepared by experts he talked about in two weeks and posted the matter for further hearing on August 6.

The Bench said the report should offer landfill site specific solution describing the cost involved and time required to implement it in view of the fact that the quantity of solid waste was more than 14 million tonne.

Earlier, the Bench relieved Gurugram Municipal Commission Yashpal after asking him a few questions about solid waste management in Gurugram.

As Yashpal said he was dealing with a very small quantity of solid waste in Gurugram and Faridabad, the Bench said his methods of dealing with the problem may not work in Delhi where the problem was of gigantic proportions.

The issue of solid waste management in Delhi was the responsibility of the municipal corporations and the L-G has the authority to issue directions in this regard under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.

As garbage piles up like mountains in three landfill sites at Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalswa in Delhi, the Supreme Court had on July 12 admonished the Lt Governor for only holding 25 meetings and not issuing any directions to the three municipal bodies to deal with the problem.

“Is the office of the LG responsible? According to your affidavit, the answer is yes. Then do not bring the chief minister into this,” the Bench had said.

“You say I have the power, but you do not bother to attend meetings. You think you are a superman; I am responsible but nobody can touch me and I won’t do anything except blaming other,” the Bench had said, adding this was nothing but passing the buck.