The Meghalaya High Court on Thursday directed the State to ensure that the Jowai Municipal Board there is no piling up of garbage or waste at any place in Jowai town till such time that the waste disposal unit is commissioned.
“The State should also ensure that the Jowai Municipal Board adheres to the schedule and that there is no piling up of garbage or waste at any place in Jowai, till such time that the waste disposal unit is commissioned,” the bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh said in its judgment while disposing of a PIL filed by the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai.
“Once the relevant unit becomes functional, the State, in conjunction with the Jowai Municipal Board, will work out modalities for waste from different parts of the Jowai town to be reached to the unit and places where local residents and commercial entities may dump their waste for such waste to be ferried to the disposal unit. Such a plan should be chalked out in the course of the next month so that it can be implemented from day one of the commissioning of the unit,” the bench also directed.
During the hearing, the petitioner was represented today and submitted that despite the previous orders of this Court, there has been irregular collection of waste, particularly from residents in Jowai. The Jowai Municipal Board, however, says that the schedule indicated earlier is being adhered to.
The last order recorded that the 10-TPD solid waste–management system, according to the State, had been completed to the extent of 70 per cent by then. Earlier reports filed by the State indicated that the waste
disposal unit would be ready by the end of this calendar year.
Additional Advocate-General said that there is no delay in such regard and it is hoped that the waste disposal unit would be functional by the end of this year or, at the latest, within a week thereafter.
Since the monsoon has now officially retreated from the State and there is less likelihood of the collected waste at any place flowing down, the health hazards that had been apprehended earlier may no longer be a risk.
However, the Jowai Municipal Board, which has been somewhat lacking in its performance, should ensure that the schedule submitted in Court is strictly adhered to and waste is collected both from residential and commercial units till such time that a new system is put in place upon the waste disposal unit being commissioned.
“The petition, filed in public interest, appears to have worked itself out. However, if there is any deficiency on the part of the Jowai Municipal Board, the petitioner or any other person affected may approach the Court,” the bench has stated in its judgment.
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