The Bombay High Court (HC) has granted the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) time till December 31, 2019 to put in place methods for scientifically treating garbage and following Solid Waste Management Rules. If not done, the court will stop the grant of permission for construction of new buildings in Thane.
A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla, while allowing the application for extension filed by TMC, said, "It is shocking that the corporation is only treating ten per cent of the around 800 meteric tonne of waste generated daily."
Advocate NR Bubna, appearing for the civic body, assured the court that steps will be taken in forthcoming months to ensure proper waste segregation and treatment at ward levels to reduce illegal dumping. The court thus asked the corporation to file a quarterly compliance report on its progress. The first such report has to be filed in June.
One of the petitioners, Gaondevi Mitra Mandal, had highlighted the problem of garbage being dumped in non-designated zones and on mangroves in Thane. Advocate Sandesh Patil, appearing Mandal, argued that because of the illegal dumping, mangrove land is being flattened and land mafia at few locations have made constructions and created third party rights. Patil said, "As permission for new construction has been stopped in Mumbai following failure to comply with rules, similar action would follow in Thane if the corporation fails to comply with the rules."
