The Bombay high court expressed dissatisfaction with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s waste management efforts in Mumbai
Because some parts of South Mumbai were well maintained, mUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday pulled up the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over waste management and cleanliness in Mumbai, observing that the city could not be considered clean merely.
The HC, however, said it did not find “very high progress” by BMC ward officers in addressing problematic areas concerning health and hygiene at public places, hill slopes, pavements and streets. The court directed the BMC to file a comprehensive affidavit detailing the steps taken by ward officers to ascertain the “correct position” on the ground and the measures undertaken on Gandhi Jayanti as part of the Swachhata Abhiyan. It said a compactor located at a heritage site had been shifted out, while the location of a chowki opposite the City Civil Court and the route and parking arrangements for garbage vehicles near the heritage building had also been addressed by shifting the garbage vehicles’ reporting point away from the court.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by residents of Kannamwar Nagar over the Kanjurmarg waste management facility and concerns about its impact on the health of residents in nearby areas. BMC senior advocate Anil Sakhare submitted that the situation had improved. The bench also warned that ward officers could be called to court to explain the situation.
In its detailed affidavit filed before the HC on Wednesday, the BMC said it had held a meeting in August pursuant to earlier court directions to discuss issues relating to the Kanjurmarg facility, compliance with HC directions and measures to ensure effective monitoring.