Bombay High Court asks Thane Municipal Corporation to step up waste mgmt policies

The Bombay High Court has warned the Thane Municipal Corporation that it would ban new constructions in the area, if the civic body fails to come up with a policy to follow solid waste management rules and scientifically treat garbage.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice P N Deshmukh observed, "Why are you not implementing the rules and court orders, as far as Mumbai is concerned we have imposed a ban on new construction if you don't implement the rules we will adopt the same course of action."

The court has asked the corporation to file the steps taken by it to ensure proper compliance and seek extension for complying the same by filing an application. The court has posted the matter for final hearing on January 15.

The court made this observation while hearing a petition filed by Gaondevi Mitra Mandal a local group which claimed that the corporation has been dumping on non designated zones and on mangroves. Advocate Sandesh Patil appearing for the petitioner argued that because of the illegal dumping, mangrove land is being flattened and land mafia at few locations have made constructions and created third party rights.

The court after going through the plea and photographs exhibited to it said: "Prima facie we find that dumping is being done on mangroves and it should not occur."

Last year, the court had rejected a review petition filed by Maharashtra Chamber of Housing and Industries (MCHI), a body of developers and builders, seeking to lift the ban imposed on new constructions in mumbai. The petition was rejected due to a failure on the part of the civic body to comply with the municipality solid waste management rules (MSW).