The Supreme Court today expressed shock at the sordid state of affairs in managing the rising levels of untreated solid waste in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
A Bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said that it was horrifying that this was happening in the national capital while authorities continued to remain indifferent.
The court said that the Centre should hold meetings to ensure that the solid waste problem does not increase any further. The bench upheld that Amicus used the correct word, horrifying to describe the situation. The court remarked that none is bothered on how to reduce solid waste.
The bench further stated that the issue is one which directly affects the fundamental right to life of citizens to live in a clean environment. It underscored that the situation directly affects fundamental rights of citizens under Article 21 to live in a pollution free environment.
Subsequently, the court said that an immediate solution would have to be devised but opined that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and other municipal bodies were not in a position to deal with the problem.
The court noted that considering the development taking place in Delhi and surrounding areas, it is obvious that generation of solid waste is bound to increase and MCD and other authorities are not in a position to deal with that. It added that in order to ensure that the present generation of untreated solid waste is not increased, immediate measures are needed and authorities have to consider restraints on construction activities etc.
Consecutively, the court directed the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and municipal bodies of NCR to convene a meeting to formulate a solution to tackle the rising levels of untreated solid waste. It further ordered the ministry and other bodies to come up with a concrete solution by July 19, failing which the Court would pass drastic orders.
The court expressed that it hopes and trusts authorities take the issue with great seriousness as prima facie they find that they have not considered the consequences of untreated solid waste generated daily.
The Supreme Court bench was hearing a case dealing with the deteriorating air quality in the national capital and stubble burning in nearby states, which is said to be one of the biggest contributors to air pollution.
Earlier, the apex court had expressed shock over the problems surrounding solid waste management in Delhi, mentioning that the city was producing around 3,000 tonnes of solid waste everyday in excess of its processing capacity.