Delhi High Court today voiced dissatisfaction over the civic agencies' efforts to clean up the national capital, saying that the "officialdom" was preventing compliance of its orders to periodically remove rubble and garbage from public areas, especially in Dwarka sub-city.
Terming as "pathetic" the extent of pollution, garbage and filth in Delhi, a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Jayant Nath gave the civic bodies a final opportunity till November 24 to "come good with their promise" to clean up Dwarka.
The bench questioned whether the officials in the agencies "had a heart" as they were not doing their job despite the fact that even people close to them were suffering from the effects of lack of cleanliness.
"Don't you have a heart? Are people close to you not suffering? Why are you not doing their job? You are getting paid for it. People are suffering while the bureaucracy goes on enjoying.
"We are absolutely dissatisfied with the agencies, including SDMC, DDA and Delhi Police, looking after Delhi. The officialdom has prevented compliance of our orders. The fact of matter is garbage is lying all around roads, construction sites, market areas and if at all, very little is being done," it said.
The court said if the civic agencies, including South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) are unable to clean up Dwarka, "which was one of the better places" in the national capital, how would they clean up the places which were worse off.
It said the submissions made in the court by lawyers for the civic bodies "did not reflect the ground reality".
It pulled up the SDMC for submitting "misleading" photographs which showed that certain areas in the sub-city were clean. The bench pointed to the discrepancies in the pictures and said that earlier the corporation had submitted photo-shopped images.
The court said SDMC was neither doing its job to provide facilities, like trash receptacles, for people to throw their garbage, nor was it prosecuting those who litter.
It sought names of all senior officials of SDMC, DDA and Delhi Police who are responsible for Dwarka area and said the court will take action against them, if required.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by law student Ebbani Aggarwal seeking directions to the civic authorities to clean up Dwarka. The matter was listed for further hearing on November 24.
SDMC and DDA, meanwhile, told the bench that they have started public awareness campaigns by advertising in print media and radio regarding proper waste disposal by people and the punishment for littering and dumping waste in public areas.
They also said that resident welfare associations of the area have also been roped in. SDMC further claimed it was regularly cleaning up the area.
The bench, however, was not satisfied with the claims and directed the authorities to advertise on TV channels also to create awareness in the public.
Apart from that the court said that the cleanliness situation in Dwarka would be considered as improved only if it was visible to the naked eye.
It said that at present the improvement in the situation was merely one per cent.
