PIL proceedings closed following resolution of sanitary workers' strike and restoration of essential sanitation services.

The petitioner filed a Writ Petition (PIL) seeking a mandamus to compel the State and local authorities to strictly implement the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, the Uttarakhand Plastic and other Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Regulation of Use and Disposal) Act, 2013, and the Uttarakhand Panchayat Solid Waste Management Policy 2017

The grievance centered on the collapse of sanitation services in Nagar Panchayat, Sultanpur, caused by a strike of sanitary workers over unfulfilled demands, including unpaid wage arrears for seven 'Paryavaran Mitras'

On 12.03.2026, the Court directed the Nagar Panchayat, the District Administration, and the workers' union to hold a joint meeting to resolve the issues, emphasizing that sanitation is a vital public utility

Whether judicial intervention was necessary to restore essential sanitation services disrupted by the strike of municipal workers

Whether the grievances of the sanitary workers had been sufficiently resolved to render the PIL infructuous

the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 (as amended) and the Uttarakhand Plastic and other Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Regulation of Use and Disposal) Act, 2013

the Uttarakhand Panchayat Solid Waste Management Policy 2017

The Court relied on the legal principle that sanitation work constitutes an "important public utility service" which must not be interrupted due to administrative or labor disputes

The Court initially desisted from commenting on the merits of the workers' demands but prioritized the restoration of public health services.

It identified the non-payment of arrears to "Paryavaran Mitras" as a primary trigger for the strike and directed immediate administrative attention toward this grievance

By mandating a tripartite meeting between the Nagar Panchayat, District Administration, and the Union, the Court sought an amicable resolution rather than a purely adversarial adjudication

Upon reviewing a subsequent status report and an affidavit filed by the Executive Officer of the Nagar Panchayat, the Court noted that a formal agreement had been reached, the strike was withdrawn, and sanitation work had resumed in the Sultanpur area

The Court ordered the proceedings of the PIL to be closed and the petition to be consigned

All pending applications were disposed of accordingly