India deserves the 'filth Nobel', says Jairam Ramesh

India's cities are the dirtiest in the world and would qualify for a Nobel Prize in `filth' if such an award existed, union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.

"If there was a Nobel Prize for dirt and filth, India would get it, no doubt," Ramesh said, speaking at the New Delhi launch of a report that describes current environmental challenges for India.

The report, prepared by The Energy and Resources Institute, cited India's poor record of solid waste management in cities, inadequate resources for handling urban waste, and poor air quality. An international business magazine had listed Mumbai as the seventh and Delhi as the 24th among the 25 dirtiest cities in the world.

Baku in Azerbaijan had taken the first prize and Dhaka the second. Calcutta somehow escaped the dirty list.

Ramesh said that though India has the best and the most progressive forest and environment laws in the world it needs better governance.

He also said the government will try to pass a bill on setting up of a special tribunal, which will settle environment disputes, in the current session of Parliament.

The National Green Tribunal Bill, 2009, which has already been introduced in Parliament in July, provides for the setting up of a tribunal with powers of a civil court for expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests.

The bill has been referred to a parliamentary standing committee, which is expected to submit its report on Monday, Ramesh said.