Are you waiting for ‘atom bomb of garbage’ to explode, Supreme Court trashes states, UTs

Are the authorities waiting for the “atom bomb of garbage” to explode, an anguished Supreme Court bench asked today, saying it was “shocking” that the states and union territories were not at all bothered about the “national issue” of solid waste management.

The apex court also took strong exception that lawyers for none of the states and UTs, except for Delhi, were present in the court during the hearing and said it was a clear indication of their lack of concern.

“It is a clear indication that nobody bothers. So all the dump of India can remain here,” a three-judge bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and Deepak Gupta said.

Additional Solicitor General ANS Nadkarni, representing the Centre, told the bench that they have filed an affidavit about the details received from 28 out of the 36 states and union territories (UTs) on solid waste management.

When the bench observed that no state or UT was bothered about the issue, Nadkarni said, “it is like we are sitting on atom bomb of garbage”.

To this, the bench asked, “What should we do? Wait for the atom bomb of garbage to explode?” The bench said that besides Delhi, the lawyers for other states and …read more