HC seeks views on engaging citizens as sanitation monitors

THE BENCH ASKED THE CIVIC AGENCIES TO CONSIDER FIXING A SCHEDULE FOR COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE

The Delhi high court asked the state government and civic bodies here to give their views on its proposal to set up citizen commissioners who will conduct inspection of cleaning work and collection of garbage done in their areas by the civic bodies.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the local vigilance commissioners, “who cannot be won over”, under the supervision of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).

The HC made the observation considering the lack of monitoring system to verify work done by safai karamcharis.

The bench further asked the civic bodies to consider fixing a schedule for collection and disposal of garbage saying, “The citizens of Delhi should have some responsibility. They must learn about keeping their city clean.”

“In foreign countries, the garbage vans come once a week. There the residents are patient enough to hold back the garbage,” the bench said asking the municipal corporations to start a pilot project of depositing and collection of garbage as per a fixed time schedule.

The bench also suggested that the people violating the norms should be challaned.

The directions were issued by the court while hearing two petitions filed by lawyers Arpit Bhargava and Gauri Grover who have sought directions to the municipal bodies and other authorities to take steps to prevent spread of vector borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya and malaria. The bench reiterated it direction that the civic bodies should put up on their website the location and timewise work roster as well as the identity of each cleaning staff or safai karamchaari.

There are 15,000 cleaning staff in East MCD, 26,000 in North MCD and 23,000 South MCD.

The bench had directed the Commissioners of the three MCDs to monitor the attendance of the cleaning staff and to frame a proposal for ensuring they discharge their duties.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, who had appeared for one of the municipal corporation, submitted that the wardwise particulars of the regular safai karamchaaris will be uploaded by August 31.

The court sought a report, including a plan to resolve the garbage issue, and fixed the matter for hearing on August 2.