HC Admonishes MCD for Delay in Installing CCTV Cameras on Bhishma Pitamah Marg

Delhi High Court criticized the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for failing to install CCTV cameras on Bhishma Pitamah Marg. The court directed the MCD and Delhi Police to address issues of illegal waste dumping, illegal parking, and stray cattle within four weeks. The court also suggested installing CCTV cameras and impounding stray cattle. A petitioner had filed a case highlighting the lack of garbage disposal management and uncontrolled animal presence, leading to health and traffic hazards.

Delhi High Court on Monday pulled up the MCD over non-installation of CCTV cameras in the national capital's Bhishma Pitamah Marg and asked the civic agency to put its house in order.

The high court said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is not doing anything to set its house in order and blaming the whole world for non-cooperation.

The court's remarks came while directing the MCD and the Delhi Police to decide within four weeks a representation, pending with it for over a month, regarding garbage disposal on main roads attracting stray animals, illegal parking causing immense traffic jams, unlawful loading and unloading of goods and for proper management of the roads in Kotla and Defence Colony (also known as Bhishma Pitamah Marg).

''Are there CCTV cameras on that road? Why have you not installed cameras? You must issue challans for dumping of garbage on roads. You are doing nothing to put your house in order, then how will people cooperate? You are blaming the whole world but not setting your house in order,'' a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said.

The court was hearing a petition by Martin Geomin George against the alleged glaring failure of the authorities to eradicate indiscriminate garbage/waste dumping, uncontrolled presence of stray cattle and illegal loading and unloading of commercial goods by large vehicles during prohibited hours on the Kotla Mubarakpur-Defence Colony Road.

Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, representing the petitioner, said the waste is being dumped in and around BSES electrical transformers located on the road that can cause a fire hazard as there are several timber shops and other hardware and electrical shops in the area.

During the hearing, several suggestions were discussed by the bench and the lawyers, including installation of CCTV cameras on the streets to ensure that loading and unloading of goods do not take place during the restricted hours and people who litter are fined.

The suggestions also include that cattle let loose on roads by their owners are impounded and shifted to common gaushalas.

The petition said garbage/waste, including wet waste and edibles, are being indiscriminately disposed of on the roadside without any supervision. Such disposal creates a foul smell and attracts stray cattle and dogs.

The lawyer said he filed an RTI query seeking the related information but no response has been received from the authorities. He also made a representation to them in April, highlighting the issues but it has not yet been decided by them.