- High Court: human actions, not nature, cause Mumbai floods.
- Court identifies citizens’ encroachments, clogged drains as flood cause.
- High Court seeks DAE cooperation for Mandala road expansion.
- BMC needs DAE land transfer to widen Sion-Trombay corridor.
Mumbai’s recurring monsoon flooding is the result of human actions rather than an unavoidable natural phenomenon, the Bombay High Court observed on Tuesday, holding citizens largely responsible for the city’s waterlogging during heavy rains. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad remarked that Mumbai has become “destined” to witness flooded roads every monsoon because of widespread misuse of public spaces, illegal encroachments and the clogging of drainage systems with garbage. The judges said pavements are routinely converted into parking spaces and food stalls, worsening the city’s drainage problems.
Citizens’ Actions At Centre Of Court’s Observations
During the hearing, Acting Chief Justice Ghuge criticised the growing culture of illegal occupation of public land and pointed out that even the footpaths outside the High Court have not been spared from encroachments.
“Our habit is to rob our own motherland. We grab land illegally, and then look for law books only when demolition notices arrive,” he remarked, as per reports.
The bench underlined that civic infrastructure such as drainage networks and footpaths already exists, but these facilities are rendered ineffective because they are frequently blocked, encroached upon or misused. According to the judges, improving civic behaviour is essential to addressing the city’s flooding problem.
The court also made it clear that responsibility cannot be placed solely on the municipal authorities.
“Stop blaming the civic body,” the judges said, stressing that lack of civic sense is at the root of the problem.
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Court Seeks Response From DAE Over Road Expansion
In a connected matter, the High Court issued a notice to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) over the proposed widening of a road in Mandala village on the Sion-Trombay corridor.
Appearing for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), senior advocate Milind Sathe informed the bench that the civic body had already cleared encroachments and felled 192 trees to preserve the existing 30-foot-wide road.
He submitted that the BMC is ready to widen the stretch to 50 feet if the DAE, which controls land adjoining the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), transfers an additional 20-foot-wide strip free from encroachments.
BMC Says Project Hinges On Land Transfer
Sathe further told the court that while the BMC is prepared to undertake the road-widening work, BARC has appeared reluctant to hand over the land required for the expansion.
The petition before the High Court has been filed by the BMC, seeking directions to the Department of Atomic Energy to remove encroachments from its property so that the long-pending infrastructure project can move ahead.
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