NEW DELHI: Meghalaya is among the four states which have been to apprise the Supreme Court of measures taken to implement solid waste management rules.
A Supreme Court bench of Justices MB Lokur and Deepak Gupta got annoyed on Tuesday as no counsel was available with information indicating whether the four states – Meghalaya, Haryana, Jharkhand and Manipur – have constituted state-level advisory boards in accordance with the provision of the 2016 rules.
Taking strong objections to non-implementation of solid waste management rules in the country, the court said, “India will go down under the garbage one day.”
The top court said days are not far when garbage mounds at the Ghazipur landfill site in Delhi will match the height of the iconic 73-metre Qutub Minar and red beacon light will have to be used to ward off aircraft.
The apex court also asked all the states and union territories to frame a policy for disposal of solid waste in three months.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, said the court should direct all local bodies in the country to implement the solid waste management rules in 3-4 months and if they failed to do so they can be held for contempt.
The court had on December 12 last year asked the Centre to follow up on the matter of solid waste management with all states and UTs and furnish details before it.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing in the second week of July. (PTI)
