Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in Supreme Court, high courts & National Green Tribunal
On January 17, 2024, the Allahabad High Court took up the case regarding rodent infestation at Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital (SRN Hospital) in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
The case was initiated suo motu after the publication of a news article in Amar Ujala, which highlighted the serious issue of rodents at SRN Hospital in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The article detailed the extent to which these pests were causing harm to the hospital's medicines and other stored items.
The high court expressed concern that if these allegations were true, they posed a potential threat to the patients visiting the hospital and those already admitted there, creating a health hazard.
Recognising the public importance of this matter, which directly affected the health of those seeking medical treatment at the hospital, the High Court proposed to monitor the measures taken to control the rodent problem.
The High Court directed the Chief Superintendent of SRN Hospital to provide details about the contract entered into between SRN Hospital and the agency responsible for managing the rodent issue.
They also requested information regarding the payments made to the agency and the steps taken by the agency to address the problem. Additionally, the hospital authorities were instructed to outline the measures taken and planned to prevent rodent breeding in and around SRN Hospital.
The Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the affidavit of compliance submitted by the Islampur Municipal Council, Maharashtra following an order from October 3, 2023. The apex court noted that essential information, such as the average daily generation of solid waste within the municipal limits, had not been provided. Furthermore, the capacity of municipal solid waste referred to in the affidavit was not specified.
The SC directed the municipal council to detail their efforts since April 28, 2021, to obtain authorisation from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. They granted the Islampur Municipal Council a month to submit an improved affidavit containing all necessary particulars and scheduled the matter for March 7, 2024. Additionally, the court issued fresh notice to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
In its previous order dated October 3, 2023, the Supreme Court had instructed the Chief Officer of the Islampur Municipal Council to submit an affidavit outlining compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and also requested information about preventive measures to stop the discharge of untreated sewage water into the Krishna river.
The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) had previously directed the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, to take corrective actions to prevent waste disposal in the N-Choe. The N-Choe is a water drainage channel running through the centre of Chandigarh, eventually joining the Ghaggar river.
CPCC had requested the engineering department of Chandigarh administration and the Municipal Corporation to install iron nets (jalis) on culverts near the choes (streams) where they are close to roads, to deter people from illegally dumping solid waste.
The CPCC informed the department on January 3, 2024 that the installation of iron nets at certain locations was not up to the mark and urged them to install these nets wherever required.
During a recent inspection on January 3, 2024, it was observed that solid waste continued to be dumped along the Choe's banks. While iron nets had been provided in some areas, their improper installation or absence had allowed unauthorised dumping by unidentified individuals at certain spots.
Regarding the discharge of liquid waste into the N-Choe, it was reported that approximately 15 discharge points had been closed following directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), aiming to address pollution concerns.
N-Choe serves as a stormwater drain as well as for water draining from other unpolluted sources. Therefore, "the assumption that the N-Choe is a seasonal rivulet and should be dry in non-rainy season is incorrect," the report conveyed to NGT on January 16, 2024.
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