New Delhi: Under attack from the National Green Tribunal for failure to keep the tracks clean, the Railways has sought to shift the blame on Delhi government for not relocating slum clusters from its land by allotting them flats despite directions of the green panel.
Alleging non-cooperation by the Delhi government and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the PSU behemoth has said the “only permanent” solution for maintaining sustained cleanliness on tracks is their rehabilitation.
Railways moved an application before a bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar alleging that despite the fact that five out of six slum clusters have already been surveyed, DUSIB has not shifted them till date.
In its plea, the Railways said “it is submitted that DUSIB is constantly trying to defeat the laudable object and also orders of the tribunal by insisting upon the new policy which is not in existence and is only pending consideration.”
The NGT had two days ago directed Railways to strictly impose a fine of Rs 5,000 on those defecating or throwing waste on tracks and act against them effectively.
It had also castigated the Railways and other authorities for “definite negligence” and “intentional lack of will” to implement its order issued last year when it had imposed a cost of Rs 5 lakh on the Railways for its failure to keep tracks and platforms in New Delhi clean.
The railways, in its plea, said “as large amount of municipal solid waste is being generated continuously by slum clusters, little success has been achieved in maintaining sustained cleanliness near tracks on the stretches where large Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) clusters are existing. The only permanent solution for maintaining sustained cleanliness on tracks is to get JJ clusters removed.
It blamed DUSIB for not shifting the identified JJ clusters “despite specific orders.” These clusters along a 7 km stretch in Dayabasti/Azadpur area of North Delhi which were “identified to be taken up first for removal”.
It contended that in compliance to the directions of NGT, the Railways had approached Delhi Police and Delhi government for appointment of a joint team for collection of fines. The Delhi Police has deputed a team for the purpose but no representative of the Delhi government was available.
“In fact, it was only on July 1 that the Delhi government has appointed a nodal officer for the purpose. The railways would like to submit that such delays on part of other stakeholders is leading to not only loss of initiatives undertaken by the department but also weakens the thrust of all other actions taken by it,” it said.
PTI
