Panaji (Goa): A Division Bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Nutan Sardessai today reminded the Goa Government that it had enough powers to act deterrently against Panchayats and Municipalities who are defaulting in complying with the directions issued on collection and disposal of garbage.
The Court observations came today while hearing the contempt petition filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues over the inaction of the authorities on the continued dumping of debris and garbage along the Panaji-Old Goa bypass road. The Court is hearing all the garbage related petitions together.
The Court adjourned the further hearing by three weeks after directing the Secretaries of the North and South Goa District Legal Services Authority to submit a detailed report on the factual position relating to garbage in the various Panchayats and Municipalities across Goa.
Adv. Aires Rodrigues in his contempt petition has submitted that it was very anguishing that it is almost a decade and the Goa Government has done nothing to comply with the solemn undertaking given to the High Court on 26th June 2008 about handling the garbage menace.
Adv. Rodrigues has pointed out that Government had undertaken to within three months identify and designate separate places for safe disposal of building debris without harming the environment besides also having undertaken to within three months identify and place at proper convenient locations public receptacles, depots or places for temporary deposit or collection of non-biodegradable garbage.
Stating that it was very appalling that the authorities have been turning a Nelson’s eye to this gross violation of law and acting contrary to the solemn undertaking given to the Court, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the blatant and continued gross inaction of the government on the garbage issue amounts to scant respect to the Majesty of the highest Court of the State.
The High Court at the last hearing directed the Merces Panchayat not to issue any further construction licences till the garbage menace is remedified.
