Solid waste mismanagement in Indore: Kodwani, civic body lock horns in court

The legal battle to set right the solid waste management system in the city has turned into a tug-of-war between the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and the petitioner, environmentalist Kishore Kodwani.

The legal battle to set right the solid waste management system in the city has turned into a tug-of-war between the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and the petitioner, environmentalist Kishore Kodwani.

A-child-cycles-near-the-Devguradiya-trenching-ground-with-his-face-covered-to-protect-him-from-the-smoke-and-poisonous-gases-Schools-and-colonies-located-within-3-4-kms-from-the-trenching-ground-are-severely-affected-by-toxic-material-sent-into-the-air-and-groundwater-Shankar-Mourya-HT-photo

Kodwani is waging a legal battle against the IMC and the district administration to set right the system, but things took an ugly turn the two parties engaged in a mud-slinging match and misguiding the court by providing inaccurate information.

Recently, in a reply to the high court, the IMC alleged that the petitioner was misguiding the court by providing incorrect facts and statistics with regards to solid-waste management.

The officials say that Kodwani threatens and misbehaves with officials and has misled the court for personal gain and requested the court to reign in Kodwani.

Earlier, Kodwani had named three corporation officials (chief health officers Dr KS Verma and Dr DS Garg, and former additional commissioner Surendra Kathuria) alleging that they are responsible for the current pitiful state of solid-waste management in the city.

Kodwani said, “I have been fighting the legal battle since 2009 to set right the system, first in public utility court (Lok Upayogi Jan Adalat), then before the single bench of high court, and now before the division bench of high court.”

He contends that since these officials have served in the corporation at various positions, and yet the roads and localities are littered with heaps of garbage, it is they who should be held responsible for the mess.

When asked, municipal commissioner Manish Singh backed his team and said, “These officials know their responsibilities very well and are doing every bit to set things right. We all want roads and localities devoid of garbage and filth.”

Without naming anyone in particular, he added that many times the activists (RTI and social activists) make such allegations to harass the officials for their personal interests.

However, Kodwani held his stand and said the court will ultimately decide who is right and who is wrong.