03 July,2026 06:49 PM IST | Thane | Ranjeet Jadhav
The matter is scheduled for further hearing on August 21. (Pic/ Special Arrangement)
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a joint inspection into alleged illegal dumping of waste and destruction of mangroves in Thane's Diva area after admitting an application filed by environmental NGO Vanashakti and another applicant.
The application, heard by the NGT's Western Zone Bench in Pune, names the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and other respondents, alleging that unidentified persons have been dumping debris, wet and dry waste, and construction and demolition (C&D) waste across several CTS survey numbers in Diva.
The applicants contended that the affected land falls within the ecologically sensitive Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) I-A and CRZ I-B categories, where such dumping is prohibited under the CRZ Notification, 2019.
The plea is supported by photographs and a Joint Inspection Report prepared by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on April 16.
According to the report, municipal solid waste and legacy waste were being unloaded and levelled using JCB machines near the creek.
The inspection report also records that a representative of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) informed the inspection team that the land is privately owned, the waste had originated from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) area, and no permission had been granted for dumping at the site.
The applicants also relied on a First Information Report (FIR) registered on March 16, naming landowners Aditya Goyal and Lata Goyal, along with vehicle operators, for allegedly destroying the mangrove forest in the area.
Hearing the matter, a Bench comprising Judicial Member Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and Expert Member Dr Sujit Kumar Bajpayee observed that the application raises a substantial environmental issue requiring consideration.
Referring to the CRZ Notification, 2019, which prohibits dumping of municipal waste and construction debris for landfilling in CRZ I-A and CRZ I-B areas, the Tribunal issued notices to the respondents and constituted a Joint Committee comprising representatives of the MCZMA, Thane District Collector, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Mangrove Cell) and the MPCB.
The committee has been directed to inspect the site and submit a factual action-taken report within one month, with the MCZMA designated as the nodal agency. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on August 21, 2026.
