SC directs lethargic’ MCD to start door-to-door collection of garbage

The Assistant Commissioner of Bangalore Municipal Corporation (BMC) briefed the bench regarding the Swachcha Bangalore movement in which door-to-door garbage collection was undertaken in over 200 health zones of the city by safai karmacharis as well as by private contractors.

The bench said: “It appears to us that if a scheme of Swachcha Bangalore can be successfully launched with satisfactory results, that can and should be the role model for other cities, especially Delhi.”

The bench said there was no positive response or innovative step suggested by MCD and added, “MCD should consider and benefit from the successful experiences of Bangalore and Calcutta”.

The bench also pulled up Delhi Development Authority for the over 700 slum clusters on its land and asked it to file an affidavit within four weeks to state steps taken to remove them and develop these lands in line with the proposal in the master plan of Delhi.

The bench said it would hear two weeks later the issues concerning the system of solid waste disposal employed in the metropolises of Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta.

The court said the occupation of government land by slums resulted from the radically wrong policy that “when you come here, you will get free land to settle”.

On DDA land occupied by slum dwellers, the bench said the authority was expected to put to use its vacant land available within six months as per the master plan and for the purpose for which it was acquired.

It said if it failed to do so, then it would tell the court the reasons thereof and also the likely time by which the order would be complied with. Additional Solicitor General Kirit Rawal said he would ask the authority to file an appropriate affidavit.

Appearing for NDMC, Additional Solicitor General Mukul Rohtagi sought the court’s permission to challan resident welfare associations and market associations for littering their areas. The court said it was for the NDMC to do so in accordance with law.

Delhi government counsel Geeta Luthra clarified that her client had already given its response to the Union government regarding the latter’s proposal on slums.

BMC said that collection of garbage by private contractors was cost effective and sought a direction from the court to allow use of private hands for this purpose.

Clearing the decks, the bench said: “A decision in this respect is for the government to take and not for the court to direct.”

When asked, the MCD chief, SP Aggarwal, said: “This is the first time I am hearing of the court’s judgment. I was busy in meetings the whole day. Tomorrow we will discuss what to do.”