‘Are we living in a civilised society?’ Bombay High Court seeks ‘ruthless’ action against garbage dumped on streets, beaches

The Court further asked the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to deal with plastic waste on the city’s beaches.

“All beaches including Juhu, Mahim and Dadar Chowpatty are being flooded with plastic every year… Whatever is coming on the shores is only miniscule. Are we living in a civilised society?” a bench of Justices Girish S Kulkarni and Aarti A Sathe orally remarked.

Hearing a PIL over Kanjurmarg dumping site “intricately connected” with the issue of garbage on the streets in the city, the HC also remarked that citizens strictly follow rules when they visit other countries and would throw garbage in the dustbins. “But here they want to throw it away. This is the price of liberty and democracy?”.

The Court said citizens have a fundamental duty to maintain cleanliness if they want a clean environment. “We want your officers to be ruthless in taking actions,” the bench told authorities.

Senior advocate Anil Sakhare for the BMC assured of immediate steps by ward officers in the city.

“The ward officers have no sense of belonging to the city…they are least bothered about what happens at ward level because they sit in their Air Conditioned offices and there is  no consciousness. So, before citizens, the sensitisation has to begin with the officers and the machinery,” the bench orally remarked and sought “strict implementation” of solid waste management norms to improve conditions.

The Court then referred to ” total mismanagement” related to handling of waste noting that a large number of municipal trucks carrying garbage are being stationed close to heritage sites in South Mumbai including Rajabai Tower, High Court premises, city civil court among others.

“It is impossible to believe that a booth or Chowki for garbage vehicles is being set up at the heritage site where large number of tourists from all over the world visit and the kind of nuisance which they are required to face in view of the filth lying on the road and the order which is created,” the Court noted.

“All foreigners coming to the area put handkerchiefs on their noses. Unless we judicially take notice and pass orders, no action is taken,” Justice Kulkarni orally remarked

The Court also added that the situation was “not  different for a very prestigious place in the Fort area, the Horniman circle, having a huge waste disposal bin kept” and “the entire area is full of trash and odour.”

The HC expressed “surprise” that despite its officers informing the ward officer concerned several times, no action was taken, which should be done within seven days, failing which it would be  constrained to pass appropriate orders” against such officers.

The bench said that the municipal officers can seek assistance from Police if law and order situation was expected while taking steps and posted further hearing to August 12.