[Legacy waste in Mangaluru] We know how govt works, have realized this in last 5 months: Karnataka High Court Chief Justice

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the State government and the Mangaluru City Corporation to begin the work of removing legacy waste in the city, and to get financial sanction from the Cabinet for this purpose expeditiously [Karnataka State Legal Services Authority v. State of Karnataka]..A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Suraj Govindaraj directed that the Commissioner of Mangaluru City Corporation be present before the Court on Friday, noting that he must ensure that the sanction for financial approval is granted at the earliest. "Ask him to go and sit there until the approval is granted by the Cabinet... We know how the government works, that is the unfortunate part. I have realized in the last 5 months now," the Chief Justice remarked. .The Bench was hearing a petition by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority on the issue of removal of legacy waste and providing pure drinking water by the Mangaluru City Corporation to the residents of the city. Legacy waste refers to waste and garbage that has accumulated over years, usually in a place such as a landfill.The petition claimed that drinking water supplied by the Corporation was poisonous and injurious to the health of the people at large. This was confirmed by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, which submitted a report on August 24, 2021, with the finding that the water in the city was not fit for human consumption, and immediate remedial measures would be needed. .Today, the State told the High Court that the approval for financial sanction to remove the waste will be placed before the Cabinet tomorrow, or next Thursday. The High Court recorded that no person has died due to legacy waste, although some persons had been displaced, as it had incorrectly been noted at the previous hearing that 19 people had died. .During the previous hearing, the Court was informed that financial sanction of ₹72 crore had been granted by the State government to remove the waste, but the matter was pending before the Cabinet for its approval. The Court had expressed its frustration at the continuous delays in the matter, and questioned why the government was being so insensitive. "We will get water from there and ask everyone to drink it. Are you ready to drink it?" the High Court had asked, while directing that the Commissioner of Mangaluru City Corporation be present on the next date. .The matter will be heard next on Friday, February 25.