NGT Orders BMC Response on Creek Dumping Case

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Pune has mandated that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) be included as a respondent in an ongoing case. This case, initiated by the environmental group Vanashakti, investigates the alleged illegal dumping and destruction of mangroves near the Diva-Mumbra creek. Vanashakti has put forth claims of approximately 27 hectares of mangroves and Coastal Regulation Zone-I land being destroyed.

The NGT's directive followed information from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The MPCB stated that the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) had indicated that waste found at the site originated from within the BMC's administrative area. The TMC has asserted it did not authorize any dumping activities. A joint inspection on April 16 revealed active unloading of municipal solid waste, alongside legacy and construction debris, being managed with heavy machinery.

Environmentalist Stalin Dayanand, representing Vanashakti, has questioned the civic authorities' responses, emphasizing their legal duty to prevent such dumping. He suggested that instead of merely pointing fingers, authorities should file FIRs, identify responsible parties, and halt the dumping. The dispute is part of a larger environmental concern over waste disposal in the Diva-Mumbra creek belt, with allegations of buried mangrove roots and damaged wetlands.

The BMC's deputy commissioner for solid waste management stated that no concrete evidence has yet been presented to implicate the BMC. He assured that the BMC would present its factual stance before the NGT as a respondent in the matter. Previously, the NGT had imposed a ₹10.2-crore environmental compensation on the TMC for related issues.