NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response from the Centre, Delhi government, and the Central Pollution Control Board on a public interest litigation (PIL) against the setting up two Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBMWTF) in the city.
A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Jyoti Singh issued notice to the respondents on the petition, which claimed that the 'request of expression of interest' in the tender document issued by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee is illegal and arbitrary.
This development was based on the plea filed by International Human Rights Council, and the matter is up for hearing on November 30.
The petitioner lawyer Suren Uppal has contended that the tender document for the two facilities with the capacity one of 14 tons per day and 32 tons per day, flouts the Bio-Medical Waste Management, Rules, 2016 as it requires a ‘private interested vendor’ to provide the site for setting it up.
"The CBMWTF is a heavy duty facility that needs to strictly comply with environment protection norms for safeguarding the public health and climate change. Hence, the said activity cannot be delegated to a private entity," the petition said.
We see no reason to entertain petition over media reporting on investigation: HC
The High Court on Thursday refused to entertain a PIL seeking direction to the Centre to frame rules and guidelines to govern reporting and broadcasting of all news concerning criminal investigations. The bench stated that petitioner Mohammed Khalil was free to make a representation to the authorities on the matter. "We see no reason to entertain this petition."
"To draft the rules, a representation can always be preferred and the same will be decided as per law, rules, regulations and applicable government policies," it ordered. The bench also noted that Khalil was yet to make submissions despite filing the petition last year.