The Bombay high court on Thursday observed that all those who own properties facing the sea should pay higher property tax so that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation can maintain and keep it clean.
The Bombay high court on Thursday observed that all those who own properties facing the sea should pay higher property tax so that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) can maintain and keep it clean.
The observation came while the division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice SJ Vazifdar was hearing a public interest litigation filed in 2008 by Maha-Goolestan Co-operative Housing Society pointing out that the stretch of the beach zone between Mahalaxmi and Warden Road is virtually turned into a dumping ground.
The petition said the sea around Mahalaxmi temple is the worst of the stretch as thousands visit it daily and throw offerings into the sea.
The judges remarked that a particular component of the property tax can be used to take care of the cleaning of the beach front.
They suggested that the petitioners enlist the help of locals in the cleanliness drive. The petitioner’s advocate said local residents are helping to maintain cleanliness but BMC has to take some concrete steps.
He added that BMC has filed a report but it does not enlist any concrete step taken to tackle the problem.
On January 11, the civic body filed an affidavit stating that it will spend Rs47.14 lakh biannually to clean 21 beaches in Mumbai. SG Shaikh, executive engineer (environment) Zone I, informed the court that a tender was awarded to a private firm which had begun work from November 15, 2010.
The stretch from Nariman Point to Haji Ali — called the dirty beach zone — will take 22 days to clean. The court had called for the report indicating the measures taken to clean the beach zone between Mahalaxmi and Warden Road as the PIL was filed only seeking directives for maintenance of the zone in this area.
The PIL urged for direction to BMC, Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board to take steps to maintain cleanliness in the sea front of this area.
The judges have allowed the petitioner to file a rejoinder to BMC’s affidavit within four weeks.
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