August 1, 2025: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, challenging the Bombay High Court’s directive to restore 142 hectares of landfill in Kanjurmarg to its original mangrove forest status. The civic body argued that it lacks an alternative site to manage nearly 90% of Mumbai’s solid waste, which is currently disposed of at the Kanjur facility.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the High Court had, in May, ordered the restoration citing violations of the Forest Conservation Act. The land, initially classified as a protected forest, was allowed for dumping in 2006 under the condition that mangroves would remain untouched. However, a 2009 government notification de-notified the entire stretch, leading to a legal battle initiated by environmental NGO Vanashakti. In March this year, the court directed BMC to restore 119.91 hectares to forest status.
In its petition filed on July 26, BMC claimed that a 2008 notification erroneously listed parts of the landfill as forest land. The state later corrected this, clarifying through a 2012 notification that only 118.41 hectares could be used for waste disposal, excluding 23.26 hectares with mangroves. The civic body contends that the High Court overlooked this clarification and wrongly held that the state lacked the authority to amend the error without central approval.
Calling the High Court’s ruling “erroneous,” BMC urged the Supreme Court to quash the order. However, Vanashakti’s director, Stalin D, criticised the appeal’s timing. “The HC gave BMC three months to act. But we were served notice of the SLP only on Thursday, a day before Friday’s hearing. This was strategised and unethical. We’ll attend the hearing virtually and challenge it head-on,” he said.
The case will now be heard in the Supreme Court, which will decide the fate of the Kanjurmarg mangroves.
Source: The Free Press Journal
