Kashmir court pulls up authorities for garbage pile-up

The Jammu and Kashmir high court has taken a suo motu cognizance of media reports about accumulation of more than 2000 metric tons of garbage in the summer capital of the state and pulled up the authorities for failure to take action in this regard.

The high court has entertained the media reports as a public interest litigation.

In his order, Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani observed that for the past ten days, as suggested by media reports, the people were groaning under the stinking environment caused due to more than 2000 metric tons of garbage scattered over entire Srinagar.

"Ironically, the authorities and agencies concerned appear to have gone into hibernation under the heavy heaps of garbage. As a result the looming hazard is going completely unchecked which calls for judicial intervention in pure public interest," he added.

Justice Kirmani directed the high court registrar to enclose media reports as a PIL and seek orders for its appropriate listing this week.

He also ordered to issue notices to the state Health Secretary, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner, the Srinagar Development Authority vice-chairman, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar to report within two days to the court about the steps taken to dispose off the garbage from the city.

More than 2000 tons of garbage had got accumulated in the city over the past 10 days after the residents of Achan area, the dumping site, clashed with authorities, seeking shifting of the point.

The SMC has now accepted their demands, including conditional closing of the dump.

The SMC has agreed to identify alternative dumping sites, but said Achan would be used as a temporary dump for garbage for about one and a half years.

It has also agreed to pay compensation to the residents if the Achan garbage dump was not closed by the due date.

With this agreement, the city residents could get the much-needed relief from the garbage and the stink.