The Meghalaya High Court has today directed the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai to take the lead in ensuring that the points agreed to at the recent meeting are adhered to so that there is relief to the local residents of Jowai and less chance of allegations being levelled of the Jowai Municipal Board not adhering to the disclosed schedule of collection of household wastes.
It may be mentioned that a meeting was held on May 26 between representatives of the Jowai Municipal Board and the local headmen of Jowai regarding the garbage issue and waste collection from households.
During the meeting, the Jowai Municipal Board has agreed to modify the schedule for waste collection.
The Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong, Jowai has agreed to suggest two or three locations in every locality which will be identified as pick-up points. Such exercise for identification of the locations was to be completed by May 31, 2023, but could not be done.
It was also resolved at the meeting that information would be given by the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong to all localities that plastic wastes are to be kept separately for being handed over to the Jowai Municipal Board staff on the day of collection.
The Municipal Board has also agreed that any further information that needs to be disseminated to the residents in Jowai town will be forwarded to the President or Secretary of the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai for them to circulate such information to the residents.
The minutes of the meeting have been disclosed in the latest report filed by the Deputy Commissioner, West Jaintia Hills to the High Court in compliance with the previous order of the court on May 22.
During hearing of the PIL on the matter today, the division bench of the High Court asked the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai to indicate the relevant pick-up locations in each locality, which are accessible to trucks so that the Municipal Board can assign trucks at designated hours on specified days to the identified locations in each locality.
In addition, the court said that each locality should nominate one person to sign the register on the day of waste collection as per schedule.
“This is necessary to avoid any future dispute as to whether the schedule is being adhered to or pick-up vans are being assigned to the identified locations in every locality. The petitioner should intimate the names and mobile numbers of the nominated persons in each locality to the Jowai Municipal Board in the course of this week,” the High Court said.
“The petitioner should take the lead in ensuring that the points agreed to at the relevant meeting are adhered to so that there is relief to the local residents and less chance of allegations being levelled of the Municipal Board not adhering to the disclosed schedule,” the court said.
Listing the matter for hearing on July 5, the High Court also asked both the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai and the Jowai Municipal Board to report on the status of waste collection and waste management in Jowai till such time that the permanent waste disposal system is set up.
