HC summons higher state, civic authorities

LUCKNOW : To ensure a solution to civic problems like garbage being dumped in the open, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court has summoned the higher-ups of departments concerned on March 23 along with a proposal for the same because the court’s earlier directives were not fully complied with in a case pertaining to cleanliness in the city.

A division bench, comprising justices Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Rajan Roy passed the order on February 28 during hearing of a case pending since last year.

The court had issued detailed directives to the civic and state authorities to maintain cleanliness in the state capital.

But the condition in the city regarding sanitation, garbage collection and its disposal, solid waste management, accumulation of garbage in open spaces and the menace of stray cattle was far from satisfactorily, the court observed.

To suggest and take adequate and effective measures to mitigate the civic problems, the court required presence of Lucknow’s municipal commissioner, housing commissioner, vice-chairman, Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), chief town and country planner, additional chief secretary, department of housing and urban planning and additional chief secretary, department of urban development for assistance.

It would , however, be open to the additional chief secretaries to nominate an officer not below the rank of special secretary in their respective departments to participate in the proceedings before the court on the next date ( March23), the court ordered.

The court also directed that the officers should come prepared with the proposal for removal of civic problems.

They would also apprise the court as to whether at any place or city in the state, there was any proposal or any ongoing project in which some underground facility for garbage disposal was contemplated/ going on.

The high court also required presence of managing director, Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran

Nigam Limited on the next date, who shall apprise it about the plans for removal of electricity poles and laying down underground electricity cables.