New Delhi, March 10 The Supreme Court said on Tuesday that immense public infrastructure has been destroyed and damaged because officials were "dragging their feet" while hearing a case on the contamination of three rivers in Rajasthan.
The court was hearing a suo motu case concerning contamination in the Jojari river. It had also raised concerns about contamination in the Bandi and Luni rivers in the state.
In November last year, the top court constituted a high-level ecosystem oversight committee to identify the fundamental problems in the system, to supervise the remedial measures required to stop further pollution, and to provide long-term suggestions for reversing the damage already caused.
While hearing the matter on Tuesday, a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the committee has submitted its interim report.
The bench told the counsel representing Rajasthan that there were serious issues in the way the state was providing the necessary facilities and support to the committee.
"Immense public infrastructure has been damaged and destroyed because the officials were dragging their feet," the bench said, adding that several factories were operating without permission.
The state's counsel assured the bench that the issues pointed out by the committee regarding providing adequate logistical support would be taken care of by the state by the next hearing date.
The bench noted that the committee has submitted its report in different sections, highlighting the actions taken, recommendations made, and the logistical issues faced by it in completing the task assigned to it.
The top court has scheduled the matter for hearing on March 17.
In its order passed in November last year, the apex court had said that the contamination in the Jojari, Bandi, and Luni rivers reflected a sustained "systemic collapse" of regulatory vigilance and "utter administrative apathy" that had lasted for nearly two decades.
"The present proceedings involve serious issues and disastrous consequences, as a result of apathy at all levels, which has virtually put the lives of two million people, animals, and the ecosystem of three important rivers in western Rajasthan at risk," the bench had said.
It had noted that the Jojari river passes through Jodhpur, the Bandi river flows through Pali, and the Luni river passes through Balotra. The Bandi and Jojari rivers merge into the Luni near Balotra city.
Referring to the broad terms of reference of the committee, the top court had said that the panel should prepare a scientifically grounded, time-bound restoration and rejuvenation plan for the river system.