SC says solid waste in Delhi a serious problem, asks LG to constitute committee

The LG had earlier told the court that his office was regularly reviewing and monitoring garbage disposal plans and action of municipal bodies.

The Supreme Court on Friday said that solid waste in Delhi is a “very serious problem” and asked the Lieutenant Governor (LG) to constitute a committee to deal with the issue.

This file photo shows a man carrying a bag containing plastic recyclable items next to a sewage drain canal full of garbage in the Taimur Nagar slum area in New Delhi. (AFP Photo)

A bench headed by Madan B Lokur, while stressing that assistance of people of Delhi was required to deal with the problem, said the committee to be set up by the LG should consist of experts from the field, members from the civil society as well as Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).

The bench, also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta, said the committee should also deal with the issue related to cleaning up of landfill sites at Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalswa.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the office of LG, told the bench that she would discuss this issue with the LG and get back to the court within a week.

The bench posted the matter for August 27.

The apex court had earlier this month said that Delhi was facing an “emergency situation” due to mountains of garbage.

The LG had earlier told the court that his office was regularly reviewing and monitoring garbage disposal plans and action of municipal bodies.

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

The victim had been allegedly denied treatment by five private hospitals here and his distraught parents subsequently committed suicide.