Karnataka HC pulls up civic body over garbage disposal

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As garbage continues to pile up onthe streets of the country's IT capital, the Karnataka High Court on Friday pulled up the civic body and warned it would not hesitate to pass an order to supersede it if corporators interfered in waste disposal.

The court directed Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to submit its Action Taken Report by November 5.

Mountains of uncleared garbage in the city have led to widespread public outrage, raised health related concerns and drawn the attention of the national and international media.

"Everything is only on paper... Every citizen in Bangalore has been suffering because of the garbage problem. Every citizen has a right to see garbage is disposed of properly by the BBMP," the division bench headed by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen said.

The court was of the view that there is no solid waste management in the city as of Friday.

Hearing a PIL by advocate G.R. Mohan seeking superseding of BBMP over the issue, the bench said it would not hesitate to pass an order superseding BBMP if there was any interference by corporators in administration of disposal of garbage.

Earlier, BBMP Commissioner Rajneesh Goel explained the steps taken by the civic body to dispose waste and submitted that 40 per cent of the garbage had already been cleared.

Goel stated that new tenders were being finalised for transportation of garbage and these (new tenders) would be implemented by November 15.

Mohan claimed that in the past four days, BBMP had failed in its duty to remove garbage, causing health hazards and nuisance to citizens and pointed to the court's earlier warning that it would order or even suspend BBMP officials if they failed to clear the mounting waste.

During the earlier hearing, the court had said people have a right to live in a clean environment and that BBMP had failed in this regard.

The court had said that BBMP officials have failed in their duties and that if the garbage problem was not corrected, it may have to order suspension or even dismiss such failing officials from service.