The Union government on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Cabinet had cleared the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill, 2012.

On August 24, the court pulled up the government for its callousness in not enacting a law to ban manual scavenging despite repeated assurances that it would come out with law to eliminate this heinous practice.

Warning of serious action if the administration remained lackadaisical in resolving the city’s garbage disposal problem, the Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the State government and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike (BBMP) to file a report in three days on the situation.

The court, in its order, also said it disagrees with the statements of certain “public figures” who have said that residents of villages close to garbage landfills should be tolerant.

New Delhi: Tobacco products might be banned in the capital, the Delhi government indicated before the Delhi high court on Wednesday.

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court has set a deadline of 10 days for the state government to formulate bylaws for governing the mobile phone towers. The court passed the order on Wednesday while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) over the health hazards due radiation of these towers.

Within the same duration of next 10 days, the government would have to remove mobile phone towers installed on all school buildings and hospitals in the state. In addition to this, the government has to conduct a survey (also in 10 days) and tell the court about the number of cancer patients who are living within the vicinity of cellphone towers.

The Delhi Government on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that it hopes that within two weeks it would be able to take a decision to ban manufacture and sale of gutka and any products which are taken as chewing stuff having nicotine and tobacco in them.

Delhi Government Standing Counsel Najmi Waziri made this submission in response to a public interest litigation seeking a direction to ban gutka in the Capital. Mr. Waziri further submitted that the Government had already taken the initiative towards banning gutka in the city.

To operate Kudankulam Project

The Madras High Court on Tuesday said the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) had not applied its mind while passing the consent order on July 23 to operate the controversial Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP.) Justice P. Jyothimani, who constituted a Division Bench along with Justice P. Devadass, made the oral remark during the resumed hearing on public interest litigation petitions filed by G. Sundararajan of Vadapalani here.

Eve-teasing, only one of the many offshoots of illegal parking in Mumbai’s suburbs, recently became the subject of a PIL in the Bombay High Court. But there are other concomitant problems too, ranging from pollution to traffic pile-ups and even clogged stormwater drains. Subhash Gupta, a resident of Kurla (West), says: “Illegal parking along the road leading to LBS junction has caused traffic chaos and pollution. We are witnessing a growing number of asthma cases here.”

PIL filed in June 2011 sought direction to expedite water project

The district in-charge minister Varthur Prakash, who has been accusing the Union government of obstructing the Yaragol irrigation project, appears to be evading the notice issued by the High Court in a public interest litigation challenging the delay in executing the project. The notice issued by the High Court on three occasions has returned unserved saying that the minister was not available at the Vidhana Soudha.

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Thursday sought explanation from the authorities concerned over the wastage of nearly 3,000 quintal of foodgrain in rains at Vadodara railway station earlier this month.

On the basis of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Ritesh Koshtri, a bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala issued notice to the Western Railway, Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the union agriculture ministry. All have been asked to explain the wastage of huge stock of wheat on August 12.

SRINAGAR, Aug 14: The High Court today asked the state government to file response in a Public Interest Litigation on world famous Dal Lake in last 30 years.