The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has informed the Supreme Court that restoring the mangrove area at Kanjurmarg is currently not possible due to the absence of an alternative dumping ground for the city’s waste. In an affidavit filed before the apex court, civic officials stated that Mumbai is already facing severe pressure in handling its municipal solid waste and biomedical waste. The Kanjur site, they said, is critical to ensure daily disposal of the city’s waste, and shifting operations without a ready substitute could lead to a public health crisis.
The Kanjur site has long been a point of contention between environmental activists, state agencies, and the BMC. While the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Bombay High Court have earlier raised concerns over the ecological impact of dumping on mangrove areas, BMC argues that the land has been in use for decades and is essential to Mumbai’s waste management.
Officials said that despite repeated efforts, no other land parcel in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has been found suitable or large enough to handle the city’s daily garbage load, which exceeds 7,000 metric tonnes. The civic body maintained that until an alternative is made available, the site at Kanjur remains operationally unavoidable.
The BMC also noted that it has been taking measures to mitigate environmental damage at the site, including scientific landfill practices and leachate control. However, activists have alleged that large patches of mangroves have already been destroyed and want urgent restoration measures.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter further later this month. In the meantime, the BMC has reiterated its request to the court to allow continued use of the Kanjur site for waste disposal until a feasible solution is identified.
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