Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday issued a contempt notice to St Cruz Village Panchayat for failing to comply with its assurance to the court to make operational the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) by June 20.
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The High Court, in its notice, has directed the panchayat officials to reply as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against its Secretary and Sarpanch while posting the matter for the next hearing on July 17.
The judiciary has time and again pulled up several VPs for non-compliance. In one of its recent orders, the court observed that the panchayats should take all the steps necessary for providing and making operational the MRF facilities.
“The usual excuses should not be given because these panchayats have been granted enough time to comply with the legal requirements, and we and the Goa State Pollution Control Board have repeatedly issued directions. Furthermore, we clarify that even the Code of Conduct will not come in the way of panchayats providing for and making operational the MRF facilities. There are several directions from the court for implementation of solid waste management rules already issued,” stated the order.
A bunch of VPs claimed to have set up either permanent or temporary sheds in order to avoid the judiciary’s wrath but some temporary facilities are either non-functional or inadequate for proper management of waste. There are even Panchayats such as Curca-Talaulim-Bambolim which ironically recently claimed that it does have a shed but waste handled by a contractor has “lessened work on the MRF” as the waste is dumped at the Saligao waste management plant.
In Cortalim, Amicus Curie Advocate Norma Alvares pointed out that while there is an MRF shed, waste is lying outside the premises. It also came to the fore that majority of the VPs, which are located in close vicinity of the Saligao plant were avoiding using the MRF and Alvares said the garbage collecting trucks are sent to the plant without segregation. At least four VPs have assured the High Court to make operational MRF by August 15.
