NGT to civic bodies: Clean garbage dump within 2 days

With the national capital sitting on garbage dumps, the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday asked the civic bodies to remove solid waste within two days and directed the Delhi government to extend its support to them.

“We direct that all the municipal corporations of Delhi to remove the garbage dumped in their jurisdiction areas within two days. We also direct the Government of NCT Delhi to extend all cooperation to the officials of civic bodies concerned,” a bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said.

The panel also issued notices to all the three municipal corporations — East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) — and the Delhi government and posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.

The green panel’s order came on a plea mentioned before it by advocate Sanjeev Ralli, who said that due to strike of sanitation staff of civic bodies, garbage is being dumped on the streets of Delhi and in front of houses, which is becoming a grave cause of environmental pollution.

The bench also reopened a disposed of case filed by one Saurabh Sharma on a similar issue of piling of garbage within the limits of the EDMC earlier this year.