The Meghalaya High Court has asked the Jaiñtia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) and Jowai Municipal Board (JMB) to try their best to ensure the proper collection of uncollected garbage in Jowai and dispose the same in accordance with law.
The division bench of the High Court passed the order while hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai regarding household waste and general garbage not being collected in the Jowai urban township area since February 4, 2022.
The headmen’s body also attached photographs, said to be recently taken, which revealed a nasty state of affairs. The headmen’s body also pleaded in the petition for regular garbage collection and efficient waste disposal system in Jowai.
Though the petitioners have made the State government as party in the PIL, they also said that the responsibility for garbage collection and waste-management in Jowai is of the third respondent (JHADC) and the fifth respondent (JMB).
Today the High Court has directed for immediate serving of notice to both JHADC and JMB and to inform them that the matter will appear next week for a preliminary hearing and appropriate directions.
“In the meantime, every attempt should be made by the third and fifth respondents to ensure the proper collection of uncollected garbage and its appropriate disposal in accordance with law,” the High Court said while also listing the next hearing of the PIL on April 20.
It may be mentioned that the garbage problem in and around Jowai town has attracted a lot of media attention and has also been discussed in the budget session of the Assembly recently.
The dumped waste which has piled up for several weeks along the roads of the town and also near the Deputy Commissioner’s office is an impending health threat to the residents of the town.
Residents said that the smell is unbearable and swarms of flies are affecting the nearby localities where the garbage is dumped.
Recently, the JFY Jowai Circle has urged the Deputy Commissioner to direct the Jowai Municipal Board to remove the garbage and to spray chemicals at the garbage site to prevent any disease from spreading.
