Act against those scuttling garbage clearance: HC

Court grants BBMP a weeks time to implement earlier order

While granting a week’s time to put an end to the garbage menace in the City, the High Court on Thursday directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to act against anyone who interferes with the process.

Hearing a batch of petitions by Kavitha Shankar, G R Mohan and the Environment Support Group, the Division Bench comprising Justice N Kumar and Justice B V Nagarathna directed the BBMP to file a status report within a week.

“Garbage should to be cleared on a war-footing. We will give another opportunity to the corporation to mobilise all resources and machinery with a dedicated mind to clear the garbage,” the Bench observed.

“If there is an obstruction from any person, the law shall take its course in public interest. Therefore, a week’s time is granted to comply with the earlier directions of the Court to remove garbage,” the Bench added.

During the hearing, the BBMP submitted an action taken report and the State government submitted a status report. Both the reports mentioned about the new site at Chikkanagamangala in Sarjapur hobli in the City, while the State government submitted the list of seven landfill sites to dump waste. To this, the Bench said there should be a status report.

However, some of the villagers of Chikkanagamangala, who have impleaded in the matter, submitted that though the government claims that it has identified about 31 acres of land for the landfill, there is not more than 24 acres available and the site identified is just half a kilometre from Shantipura village. “How can the BBMP use it as a landfill when there is human habitation around,” the Bench asked.

When one of the counsels tried to explain about employing ragpickers in waste segregation work, Justice Kumar said it might lead to further complications and there will be a demand to regularise their jobs.

“After a couple of months of their appointment, there will be a demand to regularise them. Do you want a problem? We are not here to make any appointment. The High Court cannot do it. It is the duty of the BBMP to keep the City clean,” the Bench said.

When the counsel for BBMP furnished the list of landfill sites identified, the counsel for Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) gave details of the landfill sites approved. When the petitioners brought the obstructions by some of the elected representatives, contractors and some officials to the notice of the Bench, it directed that strict action should be taken against the people who interfere in BBMP’s work.
“Corporation does not belong to corporators. If corporators interfere, people will teach them a lesson during elections,” the Bench observed.