Expressing displeasure over non-compliance of the court’s orders regarding the collection and disposal of solid waste across the state, the Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday issued directions to create an email where people can file complaints and photographs on issues related to waste collection and disposal in any part of Uttarakhand.
The directions were issued by the division bench of chief justice Vipin Sanghi and justice RC Khulbe while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Almora-based Jitendra Yadav, who originally hails from Delhi.
Dushyant Mainali, the counsel of the petitioner, said the PIL alleged there has been ecological degradation in the state due to the failure of the authorities to follow the solid waste management laws, and ignorance and non-observance of extended producers’ responsibility.
The HC directed Kumaon and Garhwal commissioners “to hit the ground with the respective district magistrates falling within their respective jurisdiction, and to make ground surveys, town by town and village by village, to ensure that solid waste management is implemented in true letter and spirit”.
The court also directed both the commissioners to file compliance affidavits before the next hearing (November 24), failing which they will have to appear in present to explain their non-compliance with the directions.
{{/usCountry}}The court also directed both the commissioners to file compliance affidavits before the next hearing (November 24), failing which they will have to appear in present to explain their non-compliance with the directions.
{{/usCountry}}“We direct the Registrar (Judicial) of this Court to create an e-mail ID, namely solidwastecomplaint@uk.gov.in, which shall be open to the public at large to send their complaints regarding the solid waste, which is collected and not removed in any part of the state, be it within municipal limits, or in rural/forest areas. Along with the complaint, the complainant should also upload the photographs to show the collection/ non-disposal of solid waste, clearly identifying its location,” the HC order stated.
The court said the complaints received registrar (judicial) would be forwarded to the respective commissioners of Kumaon and Garhwal electronically on their respective e-mail IDs.
The HC maintained that it would be the responsibility of the respective commissioners to take action on the complaints. “The commissioners shall revert within two working days of the complaints being forwarded by the registrar (judicial) to inform as to what steps have been taken in respect of the complaints so received.”
The HC also issued directions to the state government to circulate the e-mail ID in the entire state by publishing the same in daily newspapers and local Doordarshan channels, and encouraging the people to log their complaints with necessary particulars.
“A tabulation of the complaints as well as the response received in regard thereto from the respective commissioners shall be placed before the court by the registrar (judicial), before each date of hearing,” the order said.
The HC in its order also said, “Till date, the commissioners have not filed their respective affidavits disclosing as to what steps they have taken to monitor the working of the district magistrates in the discharge of their obligations. What we find from the various affidavits filed before us is that the various authorities, including the state level monitoring committee, have been issuing paper directions to authorities subordinate to them, particularly to the urban local bodies, and the district magistrates. However, there is no monitoring of the directions being issued…to find out whether they are being implemented.”