Bombay HC Asks BMC To Prepare Long-Term Plan For Kanjurmarg Dumping Ground

Mumbai, August 28, 2026: The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to prepare a long-term plan for the Kanjurmarg dumping ground, observing that the civic body cannot wait for a court order to decide the future of a site located close to residential areas.

A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said the BMC should have a clear alternative and should not be left without a plan if the court ultimately directs it to stop using the Kanjurmarg site.

“Your commissioner now needs to be pointed out that this (Kanjurmarg dumping ground) is close to a residential area. The Supreme Court will decide one day. We should not be left without vision. The (high court) court has already taken a view,” the bench said.

Long-Term Waste Management

The court further stressed the need for a long-term vision, noting that finding land for waste management facilities would become increasingly difficult. “Long-term vision should be there. Later on it is impossible to find land. All the State and corporation machinery needs to have a vision for the future,” it said.

The bench also pointed out that the Kanjurmarg site is near a creek and mangrove area and asked the BMC about its backup plan. BMC counsel Anil Sakhare said the civic body was preparing itself for the next 20 to 30 years.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by Kannamwar Nagar CHS Association Ltd, raising concerns over persistent foul odour, toxic gas emissions, pollution and alleged health hazards faced by residents living near the dumping ground.

Garbage Hotspots Identified

The court also expressed concern over garbage being dumped at several locations across Mumbai. It asked the BMC to identify such hotspots and take preventive measures instead of merely cleaning them after waste had accumulated.

The bench asked the civic body to ensure regular sanitation, particularly in notified slum areas, and to ensure that local residents stop dumping and pilferage at public spots. It also suggested beautification of such areas.

While citizen participation was discussed, the court said residents also had a role in keeping the city clean. “Citizens should also be involved. We want to reduce the corporation’s burden also,” it said.

Sakhare said the BMC had started the “Swachh Mumbai Abhiyan” and was involving local corporators, who could directly engage with residents in their respective wards. The court suggested that good-performing wards could be recognised through grading, certificates and incentives.

The bench also asked the BMC to study cleanliness measures adopted by cities such as Navi Mumbai and Indore.

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Protected Forest Status

In May 2025, the HC had restored the protected forest status of 119.91 hectares of the Kanjurmarg dumping ground, holding that the State’s 2009 notification de-notifying the land was invalid. The BMC was permitted to use the site for three months to identify an alternative. The civic body challenged the order before the Supreme Court, which stayed the HC’s directions.

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