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Maharashtra

Mumbai News: BMC Appeals SC, Says Restoring Kanjur Mangroves Not Feasible Due To Lack Of Alternative Dump Site

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Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, challenging the Bombay High Court’s directive to restore a 142-hectare landfill in Kanjurmarg to its original mangrove forest status.

No Viable Alternative For Waste Disposal

The civic body, in its plea filed on July 26, claimed it has no viable alternative land for the disposal of 90 per cent of Mumbai’s solid waste, currently being dumped at the Kanjur site.

The High Court had issued the restoration order in May, citing violations of the Forest Conservation Act. The land, originally classified as a protected forest, was permitted for use as a dumping ground in 2006 under the condition that mangroves would remain untouched. However, a 2009 notification by the Maharashtra government de-notified the entire stretch, triggering legal action by environmental NGO Vanashakti.

BMC Claims Parts Of Dumping Site Mistakenly Notified As Protected Forest Land

In March this year, the High Court ordered BMC to restore 119.91 hectares of the site back to its forest condition. The BMC’s Supreme Court plea contends that a July 2008 notification mistakenly included parts of the waste disposal site as protected forest land. The state, upon realising the error, attempted to correct it and filed an application in the High Court to that effect.

The BMC has argued that the Maharashtra government later issued a 2012 notification clarifying that only 118.41 hectares of land were to be used for dumping, explicitly excluding 23.26 hectares covered by mangroves. The civic body stated that the High Court’s ruling failed to consider this clarification and wrongly concluded that the state lacked the authority to make such a correction without the Centre’s approval.

Vanashakti Organisation Chief Slams Timing Of Plea

Calling the High Court’s order ‘erroneous,’ the BMC urged the Supreme Court to quash the decision. Reacting strongly to the appeal, Vanashakti director and petitioner Stalin D criticised the 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 clearly strategised and unethical. We’ll attend the hearing virtually and challenge it head-on, The case now moves to the apex court, where a final decision on the fate of the Kanjurmarg mangroves awaits.

Maharashtra

Mumbai : There is no solution to the problem of landslides in the last 15 years, 22,483 families live in dangerous areas in the city and suburbs

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Mumbai: Hill collapses are not new to Mumbai, but the state government has failed to take serious steps to address the problem in the last 15 years. In the last 34 years, 340 people have lost their lives and over 300 have been injured in landslides.

In 25 of Mumbai’s 36 assembly constituencies, 257 places in hilly areas have been classified as dangerous. RTI activist Anil Gilgali said that the Mumbai Slum Improvement Board had recommended the relocation of 9,657 out of 22,483 identified slums on priority basis. It had also proposed to make the remaining slums safe by building protective walls around the hills. Gilgali had earlier warned the Maharashtra government about the risk of landslides at 327 places during the monsoon season.

Between 1992 and 2026, 340 people died and over 300 were injured in landslides. The Mumbai Slum Improvement Board had recommended relocation. A comprehensive survey was conducted in 2010. If action had been taken then, the deaths of the residents of these hilly areas could have been prevented. Following the board’s report and Anil Gilgali’s correspondence, the then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan ordered the Urban Development Department to prepare an action plan on September 1, 2011. However, 15 years have passed since then, and the Urban Development Department is yet to start working on it. In other words, no one has prepared an ‘Action Taken Plan’ (ATP) as directed by the Chief Minister,

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Maharashtra

Robbery in Mumbai Saki Naka, 4 arrested, stolen goods recovered

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Mumbai: The Sakinaka police have claimed to have solved the mystery of the robbery at the junk shop of the complainant, Mohammed Hussain Abdul Karim, and arrested the accused. 22 kg of silver and cash worth a total of Rs 44 lakh were stolen from the junk shop. The shop was located in Anise Compound. The police had registered a complaint regarding this. On this basis, the Mumbai Police’s detection team tracked down the thieves and arrested four accused and claimed to have seized silver worth Rs 44 lakh and a mobile phone. The accused have been identified as Maqsood Shah, 20, a resident of Sakinaka in Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Zeeshan Abdul Subhan, 20, a resident of Mumbra, Daighar, Akhbar Hussain Ghulam Murtaza, 27, Mumbra, and Irfan Noorullah Khan, 26, Siddharth Nagar, UP. The four accused have been arrested and the stolen goods have been recovered. This operation was carried out by DCP Dutta Nalawade on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.

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Maharashtra

37 unauthorized shops removed from footpaths in Vakola area, action taken by BMC ‘H East’ ward under ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is implementing the ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign to ensure that pedestrians can walk on the footpaths with ease. As part of this initiative, action was taken to remove 37 unauthorised shops obstructing the footpaths along Rajendra Kamble Marg in Vakola area yesterday (August 11, 2026). The operation was carried out by the ‘H East’ ward of BMC. As per the directions of the High Court and under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide. BMC is effectively implementing the ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign to clear the footpaths of unauthorised hawkers and encroachments, thus making them free from obstructions. In this backdrop, the footpaths along Rajendra Kamble Marg in Vakola were cleared during an operation led by Assistant Commissioner (H East Ward) Smt. Mr. Mridula Ande, Deputy Commissioner (Zone-3) under the guidance of Shri Vishwas Mote. During this drive, 37 unauthorized shops erected on footpaths were removed, and materials obstructing the walkways were seized.

The operation was carried out with the support of about 31 officers and staff members using 4 vehicles, 2 dumpers, 1 JCB and other machinery. Adequate police security was deployed during the drive.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation continues to implement measures to ensure the availability of accessible footpaths for pedestrians. Therefore, unauthorized constructions or placement of materials obstructing footpaths are prohibited. The Municipal Corporation administration has said that strict action will be taken if such incidents are found.

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