`Sort out waste treatment plant issue or face ban on construction': The Times of India

HC Warns BMC, State Of Action

Mumbai may be ooking at a ban on construc ions a la Kalyan-Dombivli, unless the state government and BMC set aside differences over permissions for waste reatment facilities at its dumping grounds in the city .

Hearing an application filed by BMC seeking extension o the deadline for implement ng the solid waste disposal rules at its dumping grounds, he Bombay high court on Thursday asked the state and BMC to resolve its dispute.“Solve the issue. We will ex end the deadline by a year, but we may also pass an order of no constructions in the city like n the case of KalyanDombiv li on the expiry of a year's time if no progress is made,“ warned a division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Revati Dere.

The judges were referring to an April 2015 order by anoth er HC bench which had re strained the Kalyan-Dombivl civic body from sanctioning any new commercial or resi dential project till it had a waste disposal facility in place The court was hearing pet itions filed over failure to follow norms at dumping grounds and pollution to neighbouring areas.

In April 2013, HC had ordered shut all dumping grounds across the state that do not meet civic solid waste rules or have exceeded capacity. BMC floated a PPP model and awarded tenders to set up waste disposal facilities at the dumping grounds. In June 2013, the state formed an SIT to inquire into the PPP projects.Later, a report by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board found that at both Deonar and Mulund, composting of waste was not being carried out and all dumping was taking place in an unscientific manner. BMC then filed an application before HC seeking exemption from MSW rules for its dumping grounds and extension of the deadline to set up state-of-the-art waste disposal facilities. BMC said despite issuing work orders for setting up plants at the three grounds, it was being delayed as the state was yet to give permission to lease land. The state had sought a “no anomaly“ certificate in awarding of tenders before it gave its nod.