"The problem of solid waste management has long been hanging fire. The local authorities had contested the charges but we have presented documentary evidence along with photographs of the ground realities," the petitioner Madhu Mangal Shukla told IANS.

Heaps of dirt and garbage still abounds and there is no scientific mechanism in place to process the solid waste, Shukla said. The holy town is visited by lakhs of devotees and tourists every month, he said. "With connectivity provided via the Yamuna Expressway, the pilgrim pressure has gone up while the civic amenities continue to be woefully short of requirements," said eco-activist and convener of 'Friends of Vrindavan Jagan Nath Poddar'.