HC directs Goan Civic Body for time-bound garbage disposal

Panaji, Jul 10 (UNI) A Division Bench of the Bombay High Court here, in its interim order, today directed municipal bodies in Goa for speedy disposal of garbage within 30 days.

The municipal corporations were directed to start immediately collection and segregation of waste into organic (bio-degradable) and inorganic (non-bio-degradable) for composting.

The Bench comprising Justice S A Bobde and Justice R C Chavan said the composting facilities could be arranged at one or several places and should be made operational within 30 days.

Henceforth, the municipal authorities shall not be able to get away with their responsibility of collecting plastic waste, the Court said.

The court has also ordered that the municipal corporation should get plastic waste baled for recycling and maintain records about quantum of waste generated.

If a municipal body is not in a position to get rid of the plastic in a manner suggested by the Court, it will have to intimate the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) of the quantum of waste, it is holding, Court ordered.

The non-bio-degradable waste, including residual waste, may either be sent for recycling or stored securely for burial in sanitary land fill, when it becomes available.

The GSPCB was also directed to inspect the facilities set up by the municipal bodies and submit a report to the Court by September 1 on their compliance.

As per interim directions, municipal councils need to adopt following final measures: --Inert waste shall be disposed in sanitary land fill site constructed in accordance with Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management Rules.

--Within six months sanitary land fill site should be set up.

--Set up necessary number of collection or storage centers for inorganic waste.

--Storage site should be identified and finalised in consultation with GSPCB.

--Storage sites should be identified within 45 days from today Each municipal body should collect waste and process the organic waste by composting.

--Each municipal body should set up adequate composting stations per ward.

--GSPCB should within 21 days dispose of the application seeking its consent.

--Each council shall make setting up of composting station mandatory in all multi-dwelling buildings of more than 20 residential units.

UNI BM GR BDP CS1233