HC penalises Urban development dept for failing to produce solid waste management by-laws

HC penalises Urban development dept for failing to produce solid waste management by-laws

Srinagar: The J&K High Court imposed a fine on the Urban Development department after it failed to place the details on Solid waste Management by-laws before the Bench.
On August 17, the court had directed all local bodies including Panchayats/Municipal Corporations/Municipal Councils/Municipal Committees/Development Authorities/local authorities of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to give details in a tabulation which was to include a column giving the date on which the local bodies have notified the Solid Waste Management by-laws.
When the matter came for hearing before the Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Puneet Gupta, the respondents failed to file any report before court on this issue.
The division bench recorded that it appears that the respondents are not bothered to comply with the court orders.
“Even more distressing is the fact that an important issue as important as the notification of Solid Waste Management of by-laws is not being treated with the seriousness which it deserves. In case after case, we are receiving complaints of the lack of any method in the management of Solid Wastes in the Union Territory of J&K,” the bench said.
“In view of the above position, we impose a cost of Rs 25,000 on the Urban Development Department which shall be deposited with the Advocates Welfare Fund within a period of two weeks from today. Proof of costs shall be placed before the Registry of this Court,” the court directed.
The court also remarked that it is unfortunate that let alone implementations are not even being informed as to the status of the notification of the Solid Waste Management By-Laws by the local authorities.
In the meantime, the court noted that so far as the Sonamarg Development Authority is concerned, it has filed a status report and informed the Court that the Solid Waste Management by-law had been adopted and notified on November 21.
It has further informed that for effective disposal of the Solid Waste collected at Sonamarg, the Authority has installed and commissioned one MT Electromagnetic Disintegrator Unit.
“The Sonamarg Development Authority shall also inform this Court about its method of collection of solid wastes. Let the latest status report/action taken reports be filed by the respondents as per our above directions as well as earlier directions within two weeks from today,” the court directed.
The court will again hear the matter on October 22.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.