State govt to intervene in SC to lift ban on constructions

MUMBAI: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that the State government will intervene to lift the ban on construction imposed by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has imposed a ban on new construction in several states for not having a proper solid waste management system, Maharashtra being one of them.

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday castigated some states and Union territories for the ‘pathetic’ attitude in not framing proper policy on solid waste management and stayed further constructions in those places till they brought it out. The SC also slapped fines on some state governments and union territory (UT) administrations including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh. The SC remarked that these states and UTs had not yet framed any policy under the 2016 Solid Waste Management Rules, even after the passage of two years.

Fadnavis said Maharashtra had already framed the policy and the government will bring it to the notice of the Supreme Court and urge it to lift the ban. 

“The government is in the process to implement the policy. Due to some technical reason, the State could not represent the fact in the Supreme Court, but we will bring it to the court’s notice. I have already directed the concerned department to proceed for the legal action,” said Fadnavis. 

“Under the Smart City and Clean Maharashtra Project, the government is implementing schemes for management of the waste across the State. Local bodies have set up their solid waste management plant. These local bodies are allocating funds for the purpose in their annual budget, that made mandatory to the local bodies,” said Fadnavis. 

More than 150 projects were approved by the State government. 236 cities have started garbage segregation at their level, where 143 cities started their compost plants and 37 cities got brands for their green composts.

The government targeted completion of procedure of scientific landfilling of the garbage in all cities. 

Devendra Fadnavis said Maharashtra had already framed the policy and the government will bring it to the notice of the Supreme Court and urge it to lift the ban.