A 13-year-old girl moved the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the civic bodies in New Delhi to remove garbage and prevent sewer water from collecting in a pond near her government school in south Delhi.
Highlighting the suffering of the students, the school staff and the residents of Aya Nagar in south Delhi, the girl in her plea sought immediate directions from a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal.
Expressing concern over the health of the children and other individuals of the area, the bench also comprising Justice C Hari Shankar ordered immediate inspection of the area and sought a status report from the Delhi government, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and the Delhi Jal Board.
It asked the authorities concerned and the counsel for the petitioner to meet the principal of Sarvodaya School at Aya Nagar and inspect the water body, adjacent to the school.
The bench asked the girl to point out the area to the authorities, who should file a status report about the garbage and sewer water collecting in the pond, which was a serious issue.
"If the government and the agencies find that the issue raised before them is correct, they should immediately take a step to rectify the same," the bench said, adding that the court should also be informed about the complaints made in this regard to the agencies concerned.
The court has now fixed the matter for hearing on February 7, 2018 by when the authorities have to give a status report.
The class IX student alleged that due to the negligence and non-performance of duty by the authorities, the pond in the vicinity of the school and the village was in a bad condition.
