NGT issues notice to Haji Ali Dargah trust for dumping waste in Arabian Sea
A group of students from the Pune-based ILS Law College had filed an environment interest litigation (EIL) on January 23 in the matter.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) west zone bench, on Monday, issued notices to the Haji Ali Dargah trust and other governmental agencies for dumping and releasing waste into the Arabian sea. Justice Jawad Rahim, while hearing a petition on waste being released into the Arabian sea by the Trust, asked Haji Ali Dargah trust and other government agencies to file their reply by March 5. A group of students from the city-based ILS Law College had filed an environment interest litigation (EIL) on January 23 in the matter.
Advocate Asim Sarode, who is representing the petitioners, said, "The Haji Ali Dargah is now under the green scanner as a group of socially active students have filed an environment interest litigation (EIL) against the illegal dumping and release of waste into the Arabian sea by the Trust. The EIL filed on January 23 at the NGT west zone bench in Pune came up for hearing on Monday, January 29. Taking serious cognisance of the breach of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, notices have been issued against the Haji Ali Dargah Trust and other governmental agencies, directing them to file their reply before March 5."
Aamir Shaikh, Deepak Chatap, Vaishnav Ingole, Revati Bagade, Shraddha Savakhande and Rakesh Mali, students of ILS Law college, had recently visited the Haji Ali Dargah and unearthed the unhealthy, dirty and unhygienic situation at the Dargah area, which prompted them to file an EIL at NGT.
“The Haji Ali Dargah Trust, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, State Environment Department, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and State Level Monitoring Committee have been listed as respondents in the EIL,” said Amir Shaikh, one of the applicants. It is alleged in the petition that the toilet facilities being provided inside the Dargah premises are also not maintained in a proper manner.
When contacted, Sohail Khandwani, trustee of Haji Ali, denied receiving any such notice. "We haven't received any notice so far. Once we receive the notice, we will go through the allegations and then comment on the matter," Khandwani said.
