HC seeks to know junkyard expansion impact on flamingo haven

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed two expert bodies to assess any adverse

effect of expansion of a dumping ground in suburban Kanjurmarg on a flamingo sanctuary located in the vicinity.

A division bench asked the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the National Environmental Engineering

Research Institute (NEERI) to carry out an evaluation whether the dumping ground expansion will adversely impact the

sanctuary and submit a report after two weeks. The bench comprised Acting Chief Justice B P

Dharmadhikari and Justice N R Borkar. The court was hearing a petition filed by NGO

Vanshakti against the expansion plan of the dumping ground to 121 hectares from the present 65 hectares proposed by the

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). As per the plea, the expansion was in violation of

coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms and would cause irreparable damage to the eco-sensitive zone of the Thane

Creek Flamingo Sanctuary. On December 5, 2019, another HC bench had lifted a

September 19, 2019, stay on waste dumping at the site. The order had pointed that there was a lack of space

for dumping and treating solid waste in Mumbai as the dump yard at suburban Mulund was closed in 2018, and the

overburdened dumping ground in Deonar was also proposed to be shut.

Vanshakti then approached the Supreme Court against the December 2019 ruling.

Last week, the apex court referred the matter back to the HC and directed it to reconsider the issue.