SC pulls up Arvind Kejriwal govt over Delhi garbage crisis, asks it to submit plan to clear filth

The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government over tonnes of garbage lying on Delhi streets.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government over tonnes of garbage lying on Delhi streets.

According to ANI, the apex court expressed displeasure over the way the garbage had been piled up in various places across the national capital and asked the AAP government to clear the filth at the earliest.

"45 metres of height of garbage in places are alarming," the division bench, headed by Justice Madan Lokur said.

The apex court also raised concerns that garbage piled up on streets can led to serious health hazards, including the outbreak of diseases like bird flu.

"What are your plans to clear garbage. You have to plan for the future. You don't have to react to a situation," it said.

The highest court also directed the Delhi government to convene a meeting of all stakeholders including the MCDs on the issue of garbage disposal.

The apex court passed the order while hearing a case pertaining to the suicide of parents after their child died due to vector-borne diseases.

The apex court, however, said that matters related to dengue outbreak will be heard on November 11.

The strong observations made by the apex court is important in the wake of bitter war of words between the Delhi government and the centre over MCD workers' strike that has aggravated the garbage pile up in the city-state.

Delhi Government had recently deployed hundreds of PWD workers to lift garbage from across the city as nearly 60,000 sanitation workers of municipal corporations continued their indefinite strike demanding payment of their dues.

AAP and the BJP are reportedly at loggerheads over the MCD workers' strike.

Delhi government has been maintaining that it has provided adequate funds of over Rs 2,187 crore under non-planned head to the three municipal corporations in the current fiscal, alleging that a “salary scam” has led to the crisis.