SC EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT UNTREATED WASTE

The Supreme Court on Monday termed as "horrible" the situation where 3,800 tonnes of solid waste in Delhi go untreated every day, while the surrounding areas in the national capital region have inadequate facilities for treating them, and observed it violated the fundamental right of citizens to live in a pollution-free environment. 

Referring to data on generation of solid waste per day and the capacity to treat them in areas like Gurugram, Faridabad and Greater Noida, the top court observed that considering the development work which was taking place in Delhi and the surrounding areas, it was obvious that it would increase.

A bench of Justices A S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said immediate measures should be undertaken to ensure that the quantity of untreated solid waste does not increase till proper facilities are put in place to treat them. The authorities will have to consider various methods to do that, including putting restraints on construction activity in these areas, it said.

It directed the secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs of the Government of India to convene a meeting of all authorities concerned to find a solution and place it before the court.

"In the event the authorities fail to come out with any concrete proposals, we will have to consider passing drastic order with a view to take care of the environment in the capital city of Delhi and surrounding areas," the bench said.