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The Bombay High Court has approved a comprehensive, phased strategy to significantly diminish reliance on the Kanjurmarg landfill by about 80 %, aiming to cut environmental impacts and persistent odour issues affecting nearby residents. A court-appointed monitoring committee suggested transitioning from current bioreactor-heavy landfill methods to an integrated system that includes waste-to-energy, compressed biogas, composting, and sanitary landfills. The court also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to plan international technical exposure visits and establish a year round specialised technical cell. Meanwhile, local grievances about foul smell and complaints misuse were highlighted, and legal action against bogus complaints was directed by the bench.
The Bombay High Court has accepted a detailed strategy to reduce the use of the Kanjurmarg landfill by up to 80% through phased adoption of advanced technologies. A bench of Justices GS Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe reviewed a monitoring committee's report during a hearing that addressed petitions from residents and environmental activists challenging the landfill's continued operations in a densely populated part of the city. Advertisement
The committee's document noted that Mumbai generates around 7,200 tonnes per day (TPD) of municipal solid waste, and nearly 6,000 TPD of this is currently handled at Kanjurmarg. Although facilities like composting sheds, deodorant systems, bio enzyme treatment and leachate controls are in place, persistent foul odour remains a major complaint among people living close to the site.
To tackle these challenges, the committee recommended a three phase approach to be executed under court supervision. This plan includes reducing dependency on traditional landfill methods by moving towards an integrated waste management model, which blends waste to energy, compressed biogas generation, improved composting, and scientifically managed sanitary landfills. It also suggests relocating some processing units within the site to better suit operational needs and sending officials abroad to study how cities like Dubai, Shenzhen, and Tokyo handle large scale waste systems before finalising long term technology choices.
The court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to organise these exposure visits and to establish a permanent technical cell that remains active throughout the year to manage improvements at the Kanjurmarg facility. The bench observed that only such structured, proactive technical engagement can significantly protect citizens rights to fresh air by reducing pollution and odour impacts.
The contractor operating the landfill informed the court of plans to import a Tarpomatic Cover system. This is intended to improve operational efficiency, control odour emissions, and prevent gas release while waste is received and processed.
The contractor also stated that the grievance helpline set up at the site has been receiving repeated bogus and abusive calls, rather than genuine complaints. The court acknowledged this as serious and instructed that criminal complaints be filed against those responsible for unfounded calls.
In addition, the bench highlighted the need to quickly create a dense green buffer zone around the site to help reduce odour and environmental impact. The court expressed hope that these measures will help evolve Kanjurmarg into a more modern, less polluting waste processing facility. The matter is scheduled for further hearing in mid March, where the court will review progress on these directions.
The Kanjurmarg dumping ground has been under public interest litigation for many years, including disputes over its protected forest status and concerns about health hazards from its operations. Residents continue to call for relocation of the site farther away from residential areas to reduce the daily impact of odour and air quality issues.
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