Bombay High Court takes suo motu cognizance of garbage dumping along Mumbai shoreline

The Bombay High Court on Friday took suo motu cognizance of the alarming accumulation of garbage along Mumbai's seashore, particularly the presence of microplastics in fish that humans consume.

A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice M M Sathaye highlighted the serious implications of such pollution on the marine life.

“We have taken suo moto cognizance..in relation to garbage on the seashore of Bombay caused by the use of microplastics,” CJ Upadhyaya stated, referencing a report in the Times of India based on a study by the Central Fishery Research Institute.

This study revealed that micro polythene is present in the intestines of fish consumed by humans.

It remarked on the ineffectiveness of current bans on microplastics.

“This microplastic should be… I do not know. There are bans but they are ineffective. It will impact the entire coastline of Bombay.”

The Court raised further concerns about the potential flooding risks associated with garbage.

“In case of a sudden flood in the sea, this garbage has created hurdles in the natural gradient of the sea, so that it will take more time for floodwater to recede. That might cause severe damage to residents here (in Mumbai). Your Nariman Point will not be..,” the Court remarked.

It emphasized the gravity of the situation saying that it not only causes danger to marine life but also to humans.

The Bench cited the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as an example of the extensive pollution problem.

“It is roughly three times the size of France, made up entirely of microplastics intermixed with bigger trash,” the Court observed.

In response, Advocate General Birendra Saraf assured the Court of the State government’s cooperation.

“We will give all assistance through the concerned departments. Marine drive at times has tonnes of garbage. It is really the sea giving back to us what we give it,” he said.

The Court said that it will seek the assistance from the fisheries institute, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the Union Environment Ministry to address the urgent concerns regarding shoreline pollution and its impact on marine life and public health.

In 2021, a bench led by then Chief Justice Dipankar Datta (now a Supreme Court judge) and Justice G S Kulkarni had expressed similar concerns about the pollution along Maharashtra's coastline.