Bombay High Court criticizes BMC over sanitation housing and city filth

The Bombay High Court has issued strong rebukes to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) regarding both sanitation worker welfare and the city's hygiene standards.

In one proceeding, a division bench comprising Justice G. S. Kulkarni and Justice Dr. Neela Gokhale criticized the BMC for an 18-year delay in implementing a 2008 state policy intended to provide housing to sanitary workers on an ownership basis. The court noted that these workers are among the most marginalized and vulnerable, stating that the law does not permit discrimination against them simply because they occupy the lowest rung of the municipal hierarchy.

In a separate matter concerning pollution near the Kanjurmarg dumping ground, the court observed that the “whole city is full of filth” and questioned how Mumbai could claim international status while failing to maintain basic cleanliness. The bench warned that ward-level officers would be held accountable for the accumulation of garbage in identified spots and directed the BMC Commissioner to ensure the municipal machinery functions effectively.