Clean Worli, SoBo doesn’t mean clean Mumbai: HC to BMC

A bench of justices GS Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale sought an affidavit from the civic body detailing the measures taken in every ward to prevent garbage from being dumped on streets and in open spaces

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to spell out the steps it had taken to improve cleanliness across Mumbai, observing that just because upmarket areas such as Worli, Nariman Point, and parts of south Mumbai are well maintained, the entire city cannot be considered clean.

The bench said it had seen little improvement in the city’s hygiene despite several directions issued by the court over the years. (HT Archive)

A bench of justices GS Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale sought an affidavit from the civic body detailing the measures taken in every ward to prevent garbage from being dumped on streets and in open spaces. The judges also asked the BMC to state what steps it had taken on October 2, observed as Gandhi Jayanti and the anniversary of the launch of the Centre’s Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014.

The court made the observations while hearing a batch of petitions filed by residents of the eastern suburbs, nonprofit Vanashakti and others challenging the continued dumping of municipal solid waste at the Kanjurmarg landfill. The court has broadened the scope of the proceedings by tagging related petitions together to examine wider issues concerning solid waste management and cleanliness across Mumbai.

“We aren’t against anybody, but basic hygiene discipline must be there. Ward hygiene must be maintained. We are concerned with the lives of the citizens, their health, their hygiene, etc.,” it added.

The judges specifically flagged Jogeshwari and areas around Ram Mandir railway station, saying they had received several complaints about poor cleanliness there. They asked the BMC to deploy its machinery to address the problem in these areas.

“Get data from KEM and other hospitals. So many patients are admitted due to contagious diseases, dengue, malaria, H1-N1, etc.,” the judges said, adding that ensuring all wards are clean is the responsibility of the municipal corporation.

Earlier, on September 10, the court had warned the BMC of contempt action against its ward officers if they failed to tackle the city’s persistent garbage and littering problem. It had stressed the need for stricter enforcement of existing rules, noting that residents continued to dump garbage in open spaces.

“There’s a mental block with the citizens. Wherever you see open spaces, you dump garbage there. We have the best of the laws, but when it comes to enforcement, it’s a problem,” the bench said.