Bombay High Court Calls for War-Footing Waste Management in Mumbai
The Bombay High Court has stated that measures to make Mumbai cleaner and healthier must be undertaken on a "war-footing" by both the municipal administration and residents, emphasizing that citizens are equal stakeholders in maintaining public hygiene.
A division bench comprising Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale passed the order on August 27, with the detailed copy released later. The bench observed that maintaining public hygiene is a collective duty of citizens supporting the municipal machinery, noting that reckless dumping creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rodents, and stray animals while accelerating the spread of diseases.
The court's observations followed an affidavit submitted by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Municipal Commissioner Vipin Sharma, which detailed civic measures taken in response to the court's July 15 directions on waste management and garbage dumping.
According to the BMC's affidavit, ward-level officers have begun enforcing the Solid Waste Management Bye-Laws, 2025, and are penalizing offenders. The civic administration has also rolled out anti-littering drives, ward-level inspections, and a three-shift waste collection system. Additionally, closed-circuit television cameras have been installed at identified Garbage Vulnerable Points to catch illegal dumpers.
During the hearing, the court also remarked that the BMC must establish a clear alternative plan for the Kanjurmarg dumping site so that the city is not left stranded if directed to cease operations there. The bench was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by Kannamwar Nagar CHS Association Ltd, which raised serious concerns over toxic emissions, foul odour, pollution, and health hazards faced by residents living near the Kanjurmarg facility.
In May 2025, while hearing a public interest litigation by NGO Vanashakti, the High Court restored the protected forest status of 119.91 hectares at the Kanjurmarg dumping ground, declaring the state's 2009 de-notification invalid and granting the BMC three months to find an alternative. The Supreme Court subsequently stayed that High Court ruling following an appeal by the BMC, allowing the civic body to continue using the Kanjurmarg location.
Appreciating the civic body's proactive enforcement, the bench told BMC counsel Anil Sakhare that it hoped these collective efforts would turn the city's "Clean Mumbai, Green Mumbai" vision into a reality.
