Mumbai: Set up more dumping sites, states High Court to BMC

The Bombay High Court yesterday ordered BMC to identify multiple alternative sites in the city immediately to set up dumping grounds and asked it to make segregation of waste at the source mandatory.

A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice N M Jamdar gave the order on a bunch of petitions filed by the residents of suburban Kanjurmarg about the violation of pollution norms at the dumping ground there. The petitioners' counsel Madhav Jamdar and Abhijit Rane yesterday argued in the court that ideally there should be a dumping site in each of the city wards. BMC counsel Anil Sakhare told the court that the civic body had identified a few sites in the city and are awaiting final decision from the state government. The court, however, said the civic body will have to take immediate steps. "You (BMC) cannot keep postponing the issue... otherwise this will grow into a bigger problem and then you will not be able to handle it," Chief Justice Chellur said.

"Ideally, in a city like Mumbai, there should be four main sites. One each in north, south, east and west regions," Chief Justice Chellur said. The court also asked BMC to create civic awareness among citizens and also take steps towards getting waste segregated into dry and wet at the source itself. To this, Sakhre said the corporation was issuing notices to housing societies, asking them to separate waste.