HC on Malad dump

MUMBAI, JULY 30: The division bench of Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice S H Kapadia today gave the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporat...

MUMBAI, JULY 30: The division bench of Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice S H Kapadia today gave the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC and the state four weeks to report on a possible alternate to the dumping ground at Chincholi, Malad west following a petition against it by residents of Chincholi Bunder and Bangur Nagar, Goregaon W.

The existing place having become a heavily congested residential area already with a large number of schools and building complexes, the dumping ground is being cited as a public nuisance and health hazard by the residents. The petition has been filed by one Dr Kupuswamy Dandapani, a resident of Bangur Nagar. The petitioners have claimed the dumping ground, which was a low-lying area, had already reached the height of 30 feet due to landfilling and levelling. The rains only make it worse.

The petitioners have also pointed out that the use of the area for dumping purposes, when it was marked for a water supply scheme, sanitary store, transport garage, a dogkennel and a municipal staff quarters, was illegal.

However, special counsel for the BMC E P Bharucha argued that the civic body was aware of the problems but could do nothing about it till the state government identified another site for dumping. State government pleader R V Govilkar, while presenting the scheme for formation of the committee, also asked for time.

Accordingly, the court directed that a committee be formed under the chairmanship of deputy municipal commissioner N B Achrekar, one nominee of the petitioners and another of the state government. The chief engineer of the solid waste management department will be the member secretary. The court also directed that the nominations be completed within a week, and the meeting on the issue be held forthwith. A report is to be placed before the bench within four weeks.

At present, arond 350 trucks dump garbage of around 1,000 tonnes collected from the western suburbs into the Chincholi dumping ground, which measures around 15 acres. According toan affidavit by the civic body, it would be difficult to shift this garbage to any other dumping ground, as that would be time-consuming, cause traffic congestion and be extremely expensive. The BMC has contended that if this were to be shifted to the Gorai dumping ground, as the dumping ground is surrounded by residential complexes, the vehicles would create traffic congestion in the area.

An earlier scheme of setting up a dumping ground at Malwani has also been shelved after environmental groups objected to a possible loss of mangroves at the area, and the locals opposed it. With the city8217;s ever-increasing refuse quantum, the civic body has argued that it will need at least a 100 acres of land for dumping.

Story continues below this ad

The BMC has argued that if the Chincholi area were to be dereserved from housing, it could be devoted to dumping which could then be developed advantageously. Among the various schemes undertaken to improve the conditions at the dumping ground are the use of around 8,000 litres of dilutedanti-bacterial liquid for killing germs and other harmful insects. Excel Industries, that is allowed to convert manure from biodegradable waste, uses 500 tonnes of waste every day. Future schemes include the construction of roads, sewage drains and afforestation measures at the cost of Rs 5.7 crore.