The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on March 06, 2020 called upon the local municipal authorities to question them over the deteriorating civic conditions in the city.
The court took note of the fact that despite giving out repeated orders, the condition in the city of Lucknow pertaining to the issues such as sanitation, garbage collection and its disposal, solid waste management, accumulation of garbage on open spaces and the menace created by roaming stray cattle on the streets, was far from satisfactory.
“Despite repeated orders passed by this court, the condition of sanitation, garbage collection and its disposal, solid waste management, accumulation of garbage on open spaces and the menace created by stray cattle is far from satisfactory” Justice DK Upadhyay said.
Given this context, the bench comprising Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Rajan Roy summoned various government officials, along with the initiative to address the problem.
"To suggest and take adequate and effective measures to mitigate the aforesaid civic problems, we require presence of Municipal Commissioner of Lucknow Nagar Nigam, Housing Commissioner, Vice-Chairman, Lucknow Development Authority, Chief Town and Country Planner, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Planning and Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Urban Development on the next date for assistance of the Court…”
“The Officers to be present on the next before this Court shall come prepared with the proposal for removal of civic problems as aforesaid. They will also apprise the Court as to whether at any place or in City in the State of Uttar Pradesh there is any proposal or any ongoing project where some underground facility for garbage disposal, is contemplated/ going on," the order read.
The order has been passed in the form of an appeal preferred by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation against an order of the district consumer forum which imposed heavy penalty on the corporation and re-directed it to remove filth.
While the court had decided to remove the pecuniary penalty, it took suo moto congnizance of the civic conditions in Lucknow and decided to pass appropriate orders not only on Lucknow Municipal Corporation but also the Lucknow Development Authority, to make the city absolutely clean.
The bench also summoned the Managing Director of Madhyanchal Vidut Vitran Nigagm Limited to implement the Court order for removal of electricity poles and for laying down of underground electricity cables.
The matter will now be taken up on March 23, 2020.
Author – Devansh Dev
