The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today pulled up municipal corporations and the Delhi government over the prevailing sanitation crisis in the capital city.
Observing that ‘people were suffering due to the tussle between government and civic bodies’, the tribunal, besides seeking a detailed report by tomorrow on budget allocated for sanitation employees, noted that wages to staff should be paid on time.
"The salaries to employees should be paid on time without delay and default...Let everybody wake up now, enough is enough. Tomorrow all the officers should be present and file appropriate answers duly supported by records," a bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, said.
The green panel also directed the Delhi government to place on record the order of Delhi High Court which asked the authorities to remove the garbage in the trans Yamuna area.
Earlier, the NGT had issued notices to Ministry of Urban Development, the AAP government and the union of 'safai karamcharis' on the indefinite strike called by sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) due to non-payment of salary.
Since 2015, east corporation sanitation workers have gone on strike five times over non-payment of salary. This time, it is over non-payment of their November and December salaries.
The NGT had earlier directed all municipal authorities to draw up "an integrated waste management plan for Delhi, identify landfill sites and improve condition of existing sites," among other issues.
