Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the village panchayats to clear all the black spots and littered waste, and identify locations for setting up Material Recovery Facilities in their respective jurisdictions by February 10. The court also directed the local bodies to apply for clearances before the Goa State Pollution Control Board within this time frame.
The order comes in response to a suo motu writ petition regarding the disposal of solid waste in the State.
“All the village panchayats whether they be petitioners to this petition or not, to comply with the directions. We also direct them to ensure that the black spots and the littered waste, found within their jurisdiction, are cleared latest by February 10. The village panchayats should thereafter make their report to the Directorate of Panchayats latest by February 15. The report should specifically state the number of black spots cleared and the locations from which such black spots were cleared,” the six-page order of the Division Bench states.
The court stated that some panchayats have not applied to the GSPCB for clearances for setting up Material Recovery Facilities and asked them to do so within the set time period.
“It is essential that the panchayats set up such Material Recovery Facilities without which it will be very difficult to deal with the issue of waste collection,” the Bench observed.
The court has also directed the State government ‘to provide an up-to-date report on the common waste treatment facilities, proposed for treatment of common waste and to also inform whether, the setting up of plastic disposal plant is under consideration and comment upon the issue relating to transport of common waste.’ The court has asked to reply on this by January 23 when the court will indicate the date for reporting compliances by panchayats and Directorate of Panchayats.
