Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 1: High Court today asked the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting of all the concerned officials to resolve the situation near Achan waste dumping site in Srinagar.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice DS Thakur asked the CS to direct all the concerned officials to comply with the rules of Municipal Solid Waste Management (1998 and 2000). The bench further asked the Advocate General Mohammad Ishaq Qadri to convey these orders for ensuring the implementation of court orders.
The bench passed the orders after hearing a Public Interest Litigation, submitted by advocate Z A Qureshi seeking direction from the court over dumping of solid waste at Achan dumping site, which is spreading bad odour is the entire area.
Earlier, the court had directed the Economic Reconstruction Agency, and Srinagar Municipal Corporation to file a status report regarding the steps taken by them to end the menace spread by the solid waste disposal.
ERA and SMC today filed the status report to which the court observed that provisions of rules of Management of Solid Waste have been breached, but maintained that ERA and SMC, as per the status report, are performing various duties as per the Act.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Bashir Ahmad Bashir argued that ERA will be facilitated by SMC in Solid Waste Management from Srinagar city. The court rapped the respondent over this argument and observed, “Unless and until remedy is found out we are no going to leave them. Let the commissioner (SMC) go there and spend a day, then he will realize. SMCs primary civic responsibility is to maintain hygiene of the city.”
The court today exempted the Chief Executive Officer ERA, Saurab Bhagat, for his personal appearance, but asked him to be present on next hearing.
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