Green tribunal impleads BMC in mangrove-dumping case in Diva

The August 21 order was passed on a plea filed by environmental group Vanashakti, which has alleged the destruction of around 27 hectares of mangroves and CRZ-I land

MUMBAI: The National Green Tribunal’s western zone bench in Pune has ordered the BMC to be made a respondent in the ongoing case concerning alleged illegal dumping and destruction of mangroves along the Diva-Mumbra creek belt.

The August 21 order was passed on a plea filed by environmental group Vanashakti, which has alleged the destruction of around 27 hectares of mangroves and CRZ-I land. (Pic for representation)

The August 21 order was passed on a plea filed by environmental group Vanashakti, which has alleged the destruction of around 27 hectares of mangroves and CRZ-I land. The direction came after the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) told the tribunal that the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) had informed it that the waste being dumped at the site originating in the BMC’s jurisdiction. The TMC has maintained that it had not granted permission for such dumping.

The NGT, in its order, said, “The BMC should also be impleaded as one of the respondents in this case. We direct the learned counsel for the applicant (Vanashakti) to implead BMC as a respondent and issue notice to the newly impleaded respondent also, returnable within four weeks.”

However, environmentalist and Vanashakti director Stalin Dayanand, who is also the applicant, questioned the response of the civic authorities. “If a civic body is mandated by law to prevent such dumping, how can they simply say that the waste is being dumped by BMC?” he asked. “They should instead register an FIR, identify those responsible and ensure that the dumping stops at the earliest.”

The dispute is part of a long-running environmental battle over waste-dumping in the Diva-Mumbra creek belt. Vanashakti has alleged that extensive dumping of municipal and construction waste has buried mangrove pneumatophores, obstructed the natural tidal flow and damaged protected CRZ-I wetlands. The group has also sought removal of the accumulated legacy waste and action under the ‘polluter pays’ principle. The NGT had earlier imposed a ₹10.2-crore environmental compensation on TMC.

The BMC’s Kiran Dighavkar, deputy commissioner of the solid waste management department, said the civic body had not been presented with evidence establishing its involvement. “At present, no factual evidence supporting the allegation against BMC has been brought to our notice,” he said. “The BMC will place its factual position before the Hon’ble NGT as a respondent in the matter.”