Aarey administration should clear debris in Milk Colony: BMC to NGT

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has failed to clear debris from the Mithi River in Mumbai, claiming it is the responsibility of the Aarey Milk Colony. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given the Aarey administration two weeks to respond to the BMC's interlocutory application. The NGT previously ordered the BMC to remove the debris and appointed a committee to investigate the environmental impact. The committee has been given an additional six weeks to file its report. The next hearing is scheduled for October 13.

Mumbai: While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) failed to comply with the direction of clearing the four lakh metric tonnes of debris lying on the banks of the Mithi River, the civic body, through an interlocutory application (IA) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), stated that the responsibility of cleaning the debris should fall on the Aarey administration since the land falls under the Aarey Milk Colony.

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The NGT’s hearing on August 28 was in response to a petition by the NGO Vanashakti, which brought to notice a 25-metre waste tower near Tapeshwar Mandir and adjacent to the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR). According to environmentalists, the tower is 850 metres long and 80 metres wide and leeches pollutants into the river amid heavy rains.

In response, however, the respondent of the Aarey Milk Colony claimed not to have received the civic body’s IA and has been given two weeks to file a reply.

On July 7, the tribunal ordered the BMC to coordinate with the collector (Mumbai suburban), the Urban Development Department and the CEO of the Aarey Milk Colony to remove the debris. A meeting had been convened, said the BMC, but did not furnish any proof or minutes of the meeting, and instead questioned who would bear the expense.

“We fail to understand as to what kind of coordination is being extended when nothing has been done,” the court said while granting two weeks to the Aarey administration for a reply.

The assistant commissioner of the P South ward, Rajesh Akre, said that he was not aware of the order. However, he added that the Aarey Milk Colony is responsible for their land, as they have security for it.

The director of Vanashakti, Stalin D, said, “The municipal road is used to dump the debris. Why should the Aarey Milk Colony, which takes care of the roads inside the colony, be responsible for clearing the debris that is coming from outside? When the Aarey authorities in the past raised complaints about the dumping to the BMC, the municipality replied that no dumping is taking place.”

“This is not a one-time case. Four lakh tonnes of mud and debris have accumulated there. JVLR is used by the assistant commissioners of three wards, the police, and the collector, so they were well aware of it. How was the illegal action allowed?” he said.

The NGT had also previously appointed a committee to investigate the construction debris and its environmental impact/damage, “in terms of water pollution, damage to ecology, impact on the health of nearby residents, change in hydrology, etc.,” as well as to assess the environmental compensation to be paid and remedial measures to be taken.

The committee requested an additional six weeks to file the report, informing them that NEERI and IIT-Bombay had been contacted for it. The extension was allowed. The date for the next hearing is October 13.