‘Not difficult to emulate Indore’: HC asks BMC Chief to fix ward officers’ accountability over garbage on Mumbai streets

3 min readUpdated: Jul 15, 2026 08:46 PM IST

The court directed BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide to fix accountability of ward officers by taking 'strict action'

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday, July 15, called on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ashwini Bhide to take strict action against ward officers for garbage dumped in public places, streets, and pavements and to “fix” their accountability. The court also suggested increasing penalties for spitting, which it said has become a ‘national hobby’.

Citing Indore – the ‘cleanest city in India’ – and its “sensible ward officers’ machinery,” the high court underlined that it was “not difficult” for the civic body, having “huge resources,” to maintain hygiene on the streets and public places if there is a “will to achieve” it.

‘Increase Rs 250 penalty to Rs 2,000’: HC

Representing the BMC, when senior advocate Anil Sakhare submitted that the civic body intended to strictly implement the Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Cleanliness and Sanitation by-laws for BMC, 2025, across the city, the court remarked that the ward officers were required to address the said issues.

To this, the court said penalties prescribed in the Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Cleanliness and Sanitation by-laws for BMC, 2025 should be strictly enforced using CCTV cameras.

“Everyone is spitting all over the city and it has become a ‘national hobby’. Rs. 250 penalty has to be made Rs. 2,500. It is very less,” Justice Sathe orally remarked.

Calling on the BMC to strictly enforce the Solid Waste Management Rules, the bench said it was “the duty of every ward officer to see that every ward is free of solid waste generated by residents and being dumped on streets, causing serious issues of water logging, nuisance, and hygiene.”

Seeking preventive steps for “effective handling” of the solid waste, the court said, “It cannot be that any citizen who is a resident of Mumbai is free to throw waste materials, garbage, and increase filth on public streets and/or public places.”

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The court noted the garbage dumping issue, causing serious water logging, was “intricately connected” with the handling of waste at the Kanjurmarg landfill in eastern Mumbai, nuisance of odour and emission of dangerous gases from the site as segregation of waste at the source was required to fix the problems at the dumping site.

The court said strict measures be also taken in notified slum areas and BMC officers “cannot shirk responsibility to maintain hygiene” merely because they come under the purview of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

The court has sought an action plan from the BMC Commissioner and posted the next hearing after four weeks.

Omkar Gokhale is a journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates exceptionally strong Expertise and Authority in legal and judicial reporting, making him a highly Trustworthy source for developments concerning the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in relation to Maharashtra and its key institutions.

Expertise & Authority

Affiliation: Reports for The Indian Express, a national newspaper known for its rigorous journalistic standards, lending significant Trustworthiness to his legal coverage.

Core Authority & Specialization: Omkar Gokhale's work is almost exclusively dedicated to the complex field of legal affairs and jurisprudence, specializing in:

Bombay High Court Coverage: He provides detailed, real-time reports on the orders, observations, and decisions of the Bombay High Court's principal and regional benches. Key subjects include:

Fundamental Rights & Environment: Cases on air pollution, the right to life of residents affected by dumping sites, and judicial intervention on critical infrastructure (e.g., Ghodbunder Road potholes).

Civil & Criminal Law: Reporting on significant bail orders (e.g., Elgaar Parishad case), compensation for rail-related deaths, and disputes involving high-profile individuals (e.g., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty).

Constitutional and Supreme Court Matters: Reports and analysis on key legal principles and Supreme Court warnings concerning Maharashtra, such as those related to local body elections, reservations, and the creamy layer verdict.

Governance and Institution Oversight: Covers court rulings impacting public bodies like the BMC (regularisation of illegal structures) and the State Election Commission (postponement of polls), showcasing a focus on judicial accountability.

Legal Interpretation: Reports on public speeches and observations by prominent judicial figures (e.g., former Chief Justice B. R. Gavai) on topics like free speech, gender equality, and institutional challenges.

Omkar Gokhale's consistent, focused reporting on the judiciary establishes him as a definitive and authoritative voice for legal developments originating from Mumbai and impacting the entire state of Maharashtra. ... Read More

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