Solid-Waste Management: States' Failure To Give Details Leaves SC Red-Faced

The lackadaisical attitude shown by states and union territories in managing their waste led to a shocked Supreme Court Bench saying – It is a clear indication that nobody bothers. So, all the dump of India can remain here.

Coming down heavily on states and UTs for not “bothering” about the "national issue of solid waste management”, the SC on March 7 said that the authorities were waiting for the "atom bomb of garbage" to explode. Incidentally, none of the lawyers representing the states except Delhi was present in the court.

This, the irked SC said, was a clear indication of their lack of concern.

During the hearing, the lawyer representing the Centre filed an affidavit about the details received from 28 out of the 36 states and UTs on solid-waste management. The Centre also informed the SC that State-Level Advisory Body (SLABs) have been constituted in some of states and UTs. So far, only 17 states and UTs have conducted SLAB meetings.

Meanwhile, the SC also directed the Delhi government to come up with "specific and concrete" plans to deal with the issue. While perusing the minutes of a January 12 meeting of a panel, on solid-waste management, the SC said that the Delhi government was only planning to “this and that". “Tell us when are you going to give us the specifics?" the SC said. It is worth mentioning that Delhi is among the most polluted cities in the world.

The matter has been fixed for further hearing on March 19.

The earlier story

The SC is hearing a matter related to the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. While expressing grave concern over the deaths due to vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, the top court had earlier said that lack of waste management was the cause of several lives being lost across the country.

The apex court has on December 12 asked the Centre to follow up on the issue of solid-waste management with all states and UTs and furnish details.

On February 6, the SC reprimanded the Centre for dumping "junk" before it in an 845-page affidavit. While stating that the top court was not a garbage collector, the SC Bench had come down heavily on the Centre for sharing incomplete information about solid-waste management across the country.

With inputs from Housing News