Bombay HC directs state to give land for dumping grounds

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the state government to provide land for dumping purposes to the BMC to manage Mumbai’s waste. The court observed that though the civic body was responsible for waste management, it was the duty of the state government to provide land for dumping waste. The court granted an extension till October for using the Deonar dumping ground.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2009 by activist Pandurang Patil, seeking strict implementation of municipal solid waste management rules.

The bench asked the state to identify and allot vacant land to the BMC within two months so that the civic body could set up a new garbage dumping ground there, as the old dumping grounds had outlived their purpose. The bench further observed that the state government was obliged to ensure that the BMC was able to effectively implement the solid waste management rules.

On Friday, the court was informed that land allotted by the government in the past at Deonar and Ambernath for setting up new dumping grounds was 0entangled in a legal dispute, and hence, could not be used by the BMC.

The court had allowed the civic body to use the existing dumping grounds till June 2017. The court on Friday gave an extension till October this year to the BMC for using the Deonar dumping ground.