The Hindu : New Delhi News : Yamuna enclosures for disposal of offerings sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 04, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Yamuna enclosures for disposal of offerings sought

Staff Reporter

Notice for Govt. and Pollution Control Board

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Union Government, the Delhi Government and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on an application by social activist Vinod Kumar Jain seeking a direction to the respondents to immediately construct enclosures along the Yamuna here in the Capital for disposal of religious offerings.

A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice T. S. Thakur and Justice Veena Birbal directed the respondents to file replies to the application by November 19, the next date of hearing.

The applicant also urged the Court to direct the respondents and the Delhi Development Authority to remove the garbage washed ashore. Quoting provisions of the amended Delhi Plastic Bags (Manufacture, Sale and Usage) and Garbage (Control) Act, 2000, Mr. Jain said there was a blanket ban on throwing garbage and religious offerings into rivers, riverbeds, public places, drains and sewers.

The Delhi Government had in an affidavit informed the Court last November that it had directed the authorities concerned to construct enclosures along the river for disposal of religious offerings and its periodic removal, the application said.

In another affidavit in March this year, the Government had informed the Court that it had taken measures to build enclosures along the Yamuna and had already communicated about it to the DDA, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the Divisional Commissioner of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department.

The New Delhi Municipal Council, the MCD and the Delhi Cantonment Board had been advised to ensure segregation of solid wastes and follow different processing and disposal methods for disposal of plastic wastes, the Government had stated.

But the Government had so far shown no signs of building the enclosures. As a result, religious offerings were still being thrown into the river adding to the highly polluted Yamuna, the applicant said. This showed lack of concern on the part of the authorities concerned for keeping the Yamuna clean, he alleged.

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