Garbage dumping on mangroves in Uran serious, Bombay HC pulls up municipal council

The Bombay high court (HC) has termed the dumping of garbage by the Uran Municipal Council on mangroves at Bori Pakhadi, across Mumbai harbour as “very serious”, and pulled up the civic body for non-compliance with its own promise to stop the dumping.

The Bombay high court (HC) has termed the dumping of garbage by the Uran Municipal Council on mangroves at Bori Pakhadi, across Mumbai harbour as “very serious”, and pulled up the civic body for non-compliance with its own promise to stop the dumping.

The Hanuman Koliwada Macchimar Vikas Sanstha had moved the court in December 2018 seeking judicial intervention into the dumping of garbage on Uran mangroves. (HT PHOTO)

The Hanuman Koliwada Macchimar Vikas Sanstha had moved the court in December 2018 seeking judicial intervention into the dumping of garbage on mangroves.

The Uran Municipal Council advocate submitted to the court that an alternative site for the garbage has been identified. The council also promised the court that the civic body would not dump solid waste in the restricted area and sought time to file a detailed affidavit. The hearing had been adjourned to January 30, 2019.

In the affidavit filed by the Raigad district collector on February 19, 2019, it was stated that land for solid waste dumping is yet to be identified and allotted, the court noted.

When the case came for hearing on Friday, the petitioners’ counsel Meenaz Kakalia pointed out that the dumping continues and presented the latest photographs of the site where a JCB machine was seen spreading the garbage and the site on fire, billowing dark smoke.

Justices SJ Kathawalla and Milind N Jadhav said in their order, “The fact remains that the statements made before this court and recorded by the court in its order dated December 19, 2018, has been breached.” This was also established from the photographs submitted by the advocate for the petitioner, the judges said.

Terming the matter “very serious”, the judges directed the Uran Municipal Council to file a fresh affidavit by October 13. The hearing is fixed for the next day.

NatConnect Foundation, which has also taken up the issue with the Prime Minister and the chief minister, said for 15 years locals and environmentalists have been literally banging their heads on walls with no respite to pollution, breathing problems and frequent sickness, apart from the damage to mangroves.

Pointing out that the Swachh Bharat campaign has been thrown to winds in Uran, Kumar said “None of the authorities seems to respect mangroves as frontline soldiers against tidal attacks.”

In response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, Uran Municipal Council informed NatConnect that it has requested the Raigad collector for a five-hectare plot at Jasai.