HC slams govt, civic bodies for 'stinking' schools

The Delhi High Court (HC) pulled up the state government and the municipal corporations for failing to collect garbage from city schools on a daily basis.

"Quit your jobs and sit at home. Is this how you treat your children?" the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said.

Earlier in May, the Bench had directed the three civic bodies, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board to ensure that garbage was collected from all schools under their territorial jurisdiction on a daily basis. The authorities were to inform the schools about the time the collection and removal of the garbage would be undertaken.

The directions were issued during the hearing of a plea filed by NGO Justice for All. Its counsel, Khagesh Jha, had said that the government schools stank because the garbage thrown by students was not removed regularly.

"The prayers (in the petition) for hygiene in schools cannot be adversarial. Instead, all should join hands and do this," the Bench stated, adding that even the counsel appearing for the government and the civic bodies should tell their clients this and not defend their wrong action.

The Bench also said that the Principals of the schools would also be held liable, if their institutions are found to be unclean and unhygienic. It also directed that this direction be communicated to the principals by the municipal bodies and other agencies. The court fixed the matter for further hearing on August 16.