New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday objected to the continuing use of hand-pulled carts for transport of tourists in the popular yet eco-sensitive hill station of Matheran and said the state must find an alternative transport system which would absorb the hand-cart pullers.The observations came from a bench of CJI B R Gavai, and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi after amicus curiae K Parameshwar said the only other place where hand-pulled rickshaws or carts are still operating is Kolkata and the use of this ancient inhuman mode of transporting tourists at Matheran, whose annual tourist inflow has touched 20 lakh, cannot be allowed to continue.Referring to the SC-ordered pilot project on plying of 20 e-rickshaws, irregularities in allocation of which had created a controversy, the bench said the Maharashtra govt can consider the transport system adopted by Sardar Sarovar Dam authorities in Gujarat. The CJI highlighted that there are 150-off e-rickshaws to ferry tourists at Sardar Sarovar dam. “It is allotted only to tribal women living around the dam. In the morning the women deposit a fee of Rs 150 or so and take a rickshaw on rent for a day. Whatever they earn … they take home,” he said.
