Senior Patna Municipal Corporation officials might face contempt proceedings in the high court on Monday for not clearing garbage from Patna’s streets by Sunday, despite a court warning.

On July 5 (Friday), while hearing a PIL filed by one Sunil Kumar seeking directions to the authorities to take action to prevent water logging in the Bahadurpur and Hanuman Nagar areas, Patna High Court had verbally asked Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) to clear garbage from the city in 48 hours.

It had even threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against the the civic body on Monday if it failed to clear the mess.

Despite the order, heaps of garbage lay dumped on many streets during a reality check undertaken hours before the deadline ended on Sunday.

Stray cattle were seen feeding on garbage at Kurji Road, Ashiana Road, Rajendra Nagar Road, Rajvanshi Nagar and Ashok Rajpath among others.

Stench emanated from garbage, dampened by intermittent drizzles, forcing passers-by to cover their nose.

Civic body officials claimed they are taking all possible measures to comply with the court order.

PMC commissioner Kuldip Narayan told The Telegraph on Sunday: “Though we have not received any written order regarding collection of garbage within any 48-hour deadline, the court’s instructions are being complied with in the best possible manner. Towards this goal, garbage was carted from the streets for the second consecutive Sunday, as sanitation workers are now being given weekly offs on rotation.”

Earlier, during the hearing on Friday, Justice Navin Sinha had said: “Today, I became the victim. I got stuck on my way to court because a garbage truck had blocked the road.”

The division bench had slammed the civic body for carting garbage during the day and the waterlogging menace during rainy conditions.

Civic body sources claimed garbage was being collected from all principal and main roads between 6am to 2pm daily.

Earlier on June 21, the court had asked officials why contempt proceedings should be not initiated against them for non-compliance of its plethora of judgements, delivered during the hearing of PILs on similar issues, since 1991.

Residents also seem annoyed with the garbage menace. “There is hardly any garbage collection machinery in the city. I have hardly seen any garbage-collecting vehicle in my neighbourhood in recent times and in the absence of door-to-door collection, people throw waste in the open. Most bins in the city are perennially overflowing and the situation becomes unbearable during the rainy season due to stench and rotting waste,” said Saurav Kumar of Boring Road.

Despite the high court repeatedly reprimanding the civic body for the garbage menace, PMC continues to sit on the ambitious solid waste management project for Patna, sanctioned under centrally sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission. The civic body is yet to make progress

Even after funds to the tune of Rs 36.95 crore being sanctioned by the Centre over six years funds, the civic body is still to make any progress.