Navi Mumbai | September 11, 2026 — The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has spent about Rs 1.5 crore to remove silt and debris allegedly dumped illegally in the stone quarry area of Khoparkhairane MIDC, after rainwater carried the material into four nearby factories. The expenditure was approved by the civic standing committee this week after the emergency clean-up was undertaken.
The silt was brought to the Khoparkhairane MIDC area at the beginning of the monsoon in June, according to the report placed before the committee. When heavy rain caused water to accumulate around the dumping site, the silt began flowing towards the adjoining industrial zone, eventually entering four factories and causing substantial damage.
The material was allegedly from Mumbai’s Mithi River, former Navi Mumbai mayor Jaywant Sutar claimed during the standing committee meeting on Wednesday. The report did not independently establish the origin of the silt. The dumping itself was described as illegal, but the available account did not identify the individual, contractor or agency responsible for transporting and disposing of the material.
As the situation worsened, the NMMC disaster management department carried out an urgent removal operation. The work was treated as an emergency response because the silt had spread into the industrial premises and the accumulated water had affected the surrounding area. The municipal corporation incurred approximately Rs 1.5 crore on the operation.
The expense was subsequently placed before the standing committee for approval. Committee members questioned why the financial burden had fallen on the civic body when the silt had allegedly been dumped unlawfully. They asked the administration whether the cost of the clean-up would be recovered from those responsible for the dumping.
The issue highlights the operational consequences of disposing of dredged or excavated material at an unauthorised location before or during the monsoon. Once water accumulated at the Khoparkhairane site, the material moved beyond the dumping area and entered private industrial premises, requiring the civic administration to use emergency resources for removal.
The report did not specify whether the NMMC has identified those who deposited the silt, the total quantity removed, or the action taken against the alleged dumpers. It also did not state whether compensation has been assessed for the four affected factories. The immediate administrative question before the civic body is whether the approved emergency expenditure can be recovered from the parties responsible for the illegal dumping.
