The National Green Tribunal has ordered the BMC to clear a construction waste dumpsite on the banks of the Mithi River in Mumbai within two weeks. The dumpsite contains four lakh metric tonnes of waste and is leaching pollutants into the river. The BMC has requested an additional four weeks to comply with the order.

The site is near Tapeshwar Mandir, adjacent to Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR). The dump has also grown to 850 metres long and 80 metres wide. The NGT’s direction came in response to a petition by city-based NGO, Vanashakti, which While an additional four weeks has been asked for, we want quick action so that adverse environmental effects which have large scale ramifications like impacting the water, local health and overall ecological damages, are mitigated.