Don’t dump this junk here, says SC

Don’t dump this junk here, says SC

Context:

• The Centre had come to the court with the voluminous affidavit containing a collection of schemes, official correspondence and other documents on solid waste management across the country. But the court refused to take it on record.’

Dengue death

• The court was hearing a PIL on the implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
• In 2015, the apex court had taken suo motu cognisance of the death of a seven-year-old due to dengue. He was allegedly denied treatment by five private hospitals and his distraught parents had committed suicide.

Court’s verdict:

• Justice Madan B. Lokur has described compilation of the Central government on solid waste management as “junk,” “garbage” and even “solid waste.”

Solid Waste Management Rules 2016:

• The Government has revamped the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules 2000 and notified the new Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 on April 8, 2016.

The salient features of the SWM Rules, 2016 are as under:

Areas Cover:

These rules are applicable to;

•  Every urban local body (Mega city to Panchayat level),
• outgrowths in urban agglomerations,
• census towns as declared by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India,
• notified areas,
• notified industrial townships,
• areas under the control of Indian Railways,
• airports/ airbases,
• Ports and harbours,
• defence establishments,
• special economic zones
•  State and Central government organisations,
• places of pilgrims,
• religious and historical importance as may be notified by respective State government from time to time
• Every domestic, institutional, commercial and any other non residential solid waste generator situated in the areas.