For garbage dumped on mangroves, MPCB issues penalty notice on Uran civic body

Even as the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has imposed ‘environmental damage costs’ on Uran Municipal Council (UMC) for dumping garbage on mangroves, the civic body sought to deny the charges against it

Even as the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has imposed ‘environmental damage costs’ on Uran Municipal Council (UMC) for dumping garbage on mangroves, the civic body sought to deny the charges against it.

For garbage being dumped on mangroves, MPCB has imposed a penalty notice on Uran Municipal Council. (HT PHOTO)

In an affidavit in an ongoing case against the civic body being heard by the Bombay High Court, UMC sanitary inspector, Haresh Bhairu Teji, said even the Karanja-based Naval Armament Depot (NAD) has been dumping garbage at the Bori Pakhadi plot. About 60% of UMC area falls under the NAD safety zone.

The Court had, on October 8, taken a serious view of the photographic evidence of the continuous dumping on mangroves as produced by the petitioner, The Hanuman Koliwada Machhimar Vikas Sanstha’s lawyer, and directed UMC to file its affidavit. The Court also noted the “breach” of the earlier order basis the UMC declaration that the dumping would be stopped.

The affidavit, however, claimed that the photograph was taken from a long distance and that no damage was done to the mangroves as alleged by the petitioner. Teji also denied any breach on part of the Municipal Council.

The civic body has been dumping garbage only on the one-hectare plot allotted to it at Bori Pakhadi. Moreover, the municipal council has been requesting the government, through the Raigad district collector, for an alternative plot due to the opposition from ONGC and local residents to the ongoing dumping. The government is yet to decide on the new plot, the affidavit said.

Teji said the UMC set up a 5-tonne capacity wet waste recycling unit with the help of BARC. The civic body is dumping 1.5 tonnes of dry waste at Bori Pakhadi plot, he said.

Meanwhile, the MPCB counsel mentioned about the Board’s notice to UMC, the Court asked him to file a detailed affidavit.

The court directed the petitioner to file its response to the UMC affidavit by next Wednesday. “We will respond to each and every point,” the Sanstha spokesperson said.

The Court also directed the Raigad District Collector to be present during the next hearing, fixed for October 25, via video conferencing.