“Ensure residents’ right to life isn’t affected due to pollution”: HC seeks immediate measures on Kanjurmarg dumping site
The Court asked high-level committee led by state Chief Secretary to visit and inspect Kanjurmarg dumping site at the earliest and give short-term measures to be implemented to address grievances.
3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Dec 12, 2025 02:11 AM IST
The HC said that while it was to adjourn the proceedings to next week “as large number of citizens are affected”, the officers are busy at Nagpur for state assembly winter session, therefore it posted the hearing to December 22.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday told a high-level committee led by state Chief Secretary to visit and inspect Kanjurmarg dumping site at the earliest and give short-term measures to be implemented to ensure that right to life of the residents in the vicinity is not affected due to pollution.
The court said that it does not want citizens to suffer because of air pollution and then additional pollution due to dumping grounds.
A bench of Justices Girish S Kulkarni and Aarti A Sathe was hearing a PIL by NGO Vanashakti raising issues related to disposal of municipal solid waste. The PIL also challenged environmental clearances granted by authorities for use of Kanjurmarg site as dumping ground.
Earlier this year, the HC had constituted the high-level panel led by state Chief Secretary under the supervision of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to look into the consequences of dumping grounds being located in city areas surrounded by large human habitation.
On Thursday, the petitioner told the HC that there was no further action by the committee. The court was told that the panel was recently constituted and taking stock of the situation. “We have high hopes from the committee. Let them study and see the reality on the site (Kanjurmarg dumping),” the court said.
“The committee will themselves visit and see and give immediate suggestions They are busy officers, we sympathise with them, but we are solving problems of the citizens. We had earlier passed a detailed order, expressing surprise that despite our orders the committee is to be constituted. We are informed by Additional Government Pleader (AGP) Jyoti Chavan that it was constituted,” the HC noted.
“Considering seriousness of the issues”, the court directed the committee to take a decision on complaints received after visiting the site and giving short-term measures to be implemented.
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“It cannot be a situation that the right to life is affected by such a pollution. It is need of the time that the committee needs to act expediency,” Justice Kulkarni remarked.
“We do not want the citizens in the city to suffer because of pollution and then additional pollution of dumping grounds. There are houses (in the vicinity of the dumping site) that have become unliveable because of the dumping ground,” the judge added.
Seeking urgent measures on the issue, the judge remarked, “We may not know what are the ill-effects of the pollution but we will know after the visit. There has to be proper planning and ultra modern facilities. You must be aware that dumping sites are huge source of revenue including recycling contract undertaken in scientific way.”
The HC said that while it was to adjourn the proceedings to next week “as large number of citizens are affected”, the officers are busy at Nagpur for state assembly winter session, therefore it posted the hearing to December 22.
Omkar Gokhale is a journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates exceptionally strong Expertise and Authority in legal and judicial reporting, making him a highly Trustworthy source for developments concerning the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in relation to Maharashtra and its key institutions.
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Affiliation: Reports for The Indian Express, a national newspaper known for its rigorous journalistic standards, lending significant Trustworthiness to his legal coverage.
Core Authority & Specialization: Omkar Gokhale's work is almost exclusively dedicated to the complex field of legal affairs and jurisprudence, specializing in:
Bombay High Court Coverage: He provides detailed, real-time reports on the orders, observations, and decisions of the Bombay High Court's principal and regional benches. Key subjects include:
Fundamental Rights & Environment: Cases on air pollution, the right to life of residents affected by dumping sites, and judicial intervention on critical infrastructure (e.g., Ghodbunder Road potholes).
Civil & Criminal Law: Reporting on significant bail orders (e.g., Elgaar Parishad case), compensation for rail-related deaths, and disputes involving high-profile individuals (e.g., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty).
Constitutional and Supreme Court Matters: Reports and analysis on key legal principles and Supreme Court warnings concerning Maharashtra, such as those related to local body elections, reservations, and the creamy layer verdict.
Governance and Institution Oversight: Covers court rulings impacting public bodies like the BMC (regularisation of illegal structures) and the State Election Commission (postponement of polls), showcasing a focus on judicial accountability.
Legal Interpretation: Reports on public speeches and observations by prominent judicial figures (e.g., former Chief Justice B. R. Gavai) on topics like free speech, gender equality, and institutional challenges.
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