Bombay HC Raps BMC Over Mumbai Garbage Crisis, Says ‘South Mumbai isn’t the Entire City’

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday criticised the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over the continuing garbage and cleanliness problems in Mumbai. The court said that keeping areas such as South Mumbai and Worli clean does not mean the entire city is clean. The bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale reportedly said that garbage and filth were still visible in several parts of the city.

Court Points to Garbage Problems in Western Suburbs

The court reportedly said that despite the BMC having a cleanliness plan for all 24 wards, garbage dumping on roads and open spaces had not stopped. It specifically pointed to the western suburbs, saying the situation in areas such as Jogeshwari and Malad was particularly bad. The court expressed concern over the lack of improvement in basic cleanliness despite earlier directions.

BMC Asked to Explain Ground Situation

The High Court directed the BMC to submit a detailed affidavit explaining the steps taken by ward officers to check the actual cleanliness situation on the ground. The court also asked about the measures taken on Gandhi Jayanti under the Swachhata Abhiyan. It said that proper ward-level hygiene was necessary to protect the health and well-being of citizens.

Court Warns of Enforcement Failure

The bench reportedly said it was concerned about the repeated dumping of garbage in open spaces and the failure to properly enforce existing rules. Earlier, on September 10, the court had warned that ward officers could face contempt action if they failed to deal with the city's garbage and littering problem. The court also observed that some residents continue to use open spaces for dumping waste despite the availability of laws and rules.

The court said that having good laws was not enough if they were not properly implemented. It stressed that basic hygiene and cleanliness must be maintained across all parts of Mumbai, not only in the city's cleaner and more developed areas. The observations were made while hearing petitions challenging the continued dumping of municipal solid waste at the Kanjurmarg landfill.

The Bombay High Court has reportedly scheduled the next hearing in the matter for October 22. The BMC will have to provide details of the steps taken by its ward officers and the measures being implemented to address Mumbai's continuing garbage and cleanliness problems.