HC allows BMC to continue dumping solid waste at Deonar ground

The Bombay High Court on Thursday allowed the BMC to continue dumping solid waste generated in the city at the suburban Deonar ground, but said the civic body will have to show how it plans to reduce the quantity of waste being dumped there.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had last week filed an application seeking extension of the December 31, 2019 deadline to continue dumping solid waste collected from across the city at the Deonar dumping ground.

The civic body sought time till June 2023 saying that it will take more than 40 months to make the waste-to-energy plant at the site completely operational and also to appoint contractors to maintain the plant.

In 2013, the high court had directed the BMC to stop the dumping of waste at Deonar as it did not have a solid waste treatment plant as mandated under the Environment Protection Act and Solid Waste Management Rules.

The corporation has been seeking extension of the deadline since then, which has been granted by the high court.

"We are mindful of the fact that the Environment Protection Act that speaks about scientific management and disposal of solid waste, but collecting and disposing of solid waste is a huge task in metro cities," a division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and R I Chagla said.

"We are also mindful of the ground reality. We will therefore have to give time to the BMC. But it will have to place on record a broad indication as to how it plans to reduce the quantity of solid waste being dumped at Deonar," the court said.

The bench has also directed the corporation to submit the tender process and to state how much time would the qualified bidder take to set up the solid waste treatment at the Deonar ground.

"We hope that at some day we would be able to see the land at ground level at the Deonar dumping ground," the court said.

The court has posted the matter for further hearing on June 22.

Of the 10,500 metric tonnes of waste that the city generates every day, 25 per cent is dumped at Deonar, while around 70 per cent is handled by Kanjurmarg dumping ground.

The Mulund dumping ground was shut by the corporation last year.