HC tells MCZMA to inspect dumping site for safety of mangroves

The Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra State Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) today to inspect the dumping ground site at suburban Kanjurmarg within three weeks, to ensure that wetlands and mangroves are not being destroyed.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Mohit Shah also asked MCZMA to check whether Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been complying with the November 4 order of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
MoEF's order on November 4 had allowed the BMC to use 65 acres of land for dumping, subject to certain conditions.
However, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO called Vanshakti, referred to an MCZMA report which said that the BMC has been using 86 hectares of land, which is more than the 65.96 hectares of land which the MoEF allotted to the civic body, for its dumping and filling activity.

Hearing Vanshakti's PIL, the court had earlier pulled up the BMC for allegedly violating several Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and disturbing wetlands as well as mangroves at the Kanjur Marg dumping ground site.
The Court had expressed its displeasure that the civic body had taken over land beyond what was allowed to be used by the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoEF) ministry.

The PIL alleged that at some locations, the BMC had reclaimed wetland and mangrove patches, which are being affected due to dumping.
Moreover, due to improper construction of culverts by the BMC, tidal water does not reach mangroves as well as the adjoining dumping ground, due to which they are being harmed, the PIL said.

The petition also submitted a Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) report which said that waste processing is being done by a bio-reactor, instead of the sanctioned windrow composting method. This, the MPCB said, is being done without taking proper sanction from the MoEF.