Mumbai’s sprawling Deonar dumping ground has ignited a fierce wave of opposition from the residents of neighbouring Govandi, a community already grappling with significant environmental vulnerabilities.
Citing grave concerns over potential health hazards and alleged breaches of environmental regulations, residents have initiated a determined legal challenge to halt the project’s advancement. Advocate Sayyed Abid Abbas Sayyed, representing the concerned citizens, has served a comprehensive legal notice to key administrative bodies, including the municipal commissioner, the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The legal representation demands an immediate cessation of all activities related to the project, pending a thorough and inclusive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted in active consultation with local stakeholders. Furthermore, the petition calls for the formation of a Judicial Commission or a Special Investigation Team to meticulously examine the process by which the project received sanction, despite alleged transgressions of fundamental constitutional rights, environmental safeguards, and public health norms.
“Should this unconstitutional and perilous project proceed,” Advocate Sayyed asserted, “we will be left with no alternative but to seek judicial intervention through a Public Interest Litigation.” This resolute stance underscores the depth of the community’s apprehension and their determination to protect their well-being and the local environment. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been strongly urged to refrain from entering into any Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreements or concessionaire arrangements for the WtE plant until all pertinent legal and environmental stipulations are unequivocally satisfied. The legal notice also mandates the undertaking of a comprehensive medical and environmental epidemiological study within Govandi to rigorously assess the existing and potential impacts of pollution emanating from the long-standing Deonar dumping ground.
The ambitious first phase of the contentious project envisions the daily incineration of 600 tonnes of municipal solid waste, with a projected escalation to 1,800 tonnes per day (TPD) by the year 2030. This scale of operation is particularly concerning to residents, especially considering that Mumbai currently generates approximately 6,500 TPD of solid waste, raising questions about the overall sustainability and environmental implications of such a large-scale incineration initiative concentrated in one area. Residents vehemently contend that the proposed WtE plant infringes upon their fundamental rights as enshrined under Articles 14 (equality before the law) and 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Indian Constitution. 1 “This project,” stated Shaikh Fayyaz Alam of the Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum, “threatens to exacerbate the existing pollution burden, introduce new dangers, and perpetuate environmental injustice. It offers no tangible benefits in terms of job creation, electricity generation for the local community, or any discernible relief from the city’s waste management challenges.”
Critics of the incineration technology argue that the unsegregated nature of Mumbai’s waste stream at Deonar, which includes a heterogeneous mix of organic matter, plastics, biomedical waste, and construction debris, renders it unsuitable for efficient and environmentally sound incineration. They cite a 2018 report by the Centre for Science and Environment, which cautioned that Indian municipal waste typically lacks the requisite calorific value for effective energy production through incineration, potentially leading to incomplete combustion and the release of harmful pollutants. A significant point of contention raised by the residents is the alleged lack of meaningful public consultation throughout the project planning and approval stages. “Land designated for public utility,” alleged local activist Shaikh, “was surreptitiously reclassified as an industrial zone without any transparent process of informing elected representatives or conducting public hearings to solicit community feedback and address concerns.”
Drawing parallels with the contentious waste-to-energy plant in Okhla, Delhi, resident Nafees Ansari voiced fears of “fraudulent expansion and a consequent worsening of emissions, which would render our living conditions unbearable.” This apprehension reflects a broader concern about the long-term environmental and health consequences of deploying incineration technology in densely populated urban areas. Activist Ateeque Ahmed Khan affirmed that a coordinated campaign of protests and further legal action is being planned to challenge what they perceive as a “top-down and undemocratic” decision-making process. The residents argue that the WtE model, as proposed, contravenes the fundamental environmental law principles of precaution, polluter pays, and sustainable development, all implicitly guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. They further assert that the project runs counter to Mumbai’s own Climate Action Plan goals and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which explicitly advocate for waste segregation at source, scientific and decentralised waste disposal methods, and the minimisation of waste sent to landfills.
Local communities also express grave concerns about the project’s location within a known methane-active zone, raising the spectre of serious fire hazards, particularly given the history of fires at the Deonar dumping ground. Furthermore, they question the rationale behind a project that will generate electricity without any clear commitment to providing benefits to the immediately surrounding community, which bears the brunt of the associated environmental burdens. As the groundswell of opposition intensifies, BMC officials have reportedly stated that they are unaware of the formal legal representation, while Chennai MSW Ltd, the company contracted to build the waste-to-energy plant, has remained unresponsive to media inquiries, further fueling public distrust and anxiety. The unfolding situation in Govandi underscores the critical need for transparent, participatory, and environmentally sound approaches to urban waste management, particularly in densely populated and ecologically sensitive urban environments.
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