MCD misled HC, angry court asks TV reporter to inspect garbage removal in Delhi

The court noted that East Delhi Municipal Corporation did not clear garbage from an area. it said such acts are “completely unpardonable” as the issue involves public health. Delhi has as many as 80 cases of chikungunya and 30 of dengue, as per municipal corporation reports, since January.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday warned the government and civic bodies of contempt of court proceedings for misleading the court with regard to action taken towards prevention of dengue and chikungunya.

Delhi has as many as 80 cases of chikungunya and 30 of dengue, as per municipal corporation reports, since January.(Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

A bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar took note of a news channel report highlighting non-removal of garbage by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation from some areas.

The news channel programme, which was played in the courtroom, showed that corporation failed to collect garbage from an east Delhi locality four days after it was left there by the TV reporter as an experiment.

“It is obvious that this court was misled with regard to the action being taken by all the statutory authorities regarding discharge of their statutory functioning,” the bench said adding, “The film depicts large number of flea and insects, clearly manifesting that the status reports filed before us regarding action taken towards prevention of dengue and chikungunya are completely false”.

This action of the corporations was according to the court “completely unpardonable” as the issue involves public health.

With monsoon set to hit the capital, the court said it was essential to ensure that the work of garbage disposal, which directly impacts breeding of the disease carrying mosquitoes has to be addressed on war footing.

The court made Ankit Gupta, a senior journalist of the news channel, as a local commissioner in the case directing him and his team to randomly conduct inspections and submit the position regarding the garbage removal and disposal anywhere in Delhi.

After watching the news programme, the court pointed out that the MCD employees lacked basics such as brooms, proper uniforms in the nature of footwear, protective clothing, etc. for cleaning gutters; payment of wages; lack of appropriate machines, etc for garbage removal as well as lack of funds by the MCD.

The court’s order came while hearing two petitions filed in public interest claiming the government and civic agencies have not taken preventive steps against vector-borne diseases such as chikungunya and dengue. It has posted the case for hearing on June 2.