📅 May 7, 2025, Post 2: Kanjurmarg Crisis: When Forest Law Clashes with Mumbai’s Waste Burden | Target IAS-26 MCQs Attached: A complete Package, Dear Aspirants!
Kanjurmarg Crisis: When Forest Law Clashes with Mumbai’s Waste Burden
🔹 NEWS DROP — PETAL 002
đź“… May 7, 2025
🎯 GS Paper 2 & 3 | Governance – Urban Waste Management, Environment Laws
🌀 Intro Whisper
Where the city’s waste meets the forest’s claim, Mumbai is forced to reckon with what it buries — in land and law alike.
🔍 Key Highlights
- Bombay High Court (May 2, 2025) has reinstated Kanjurmarg landfill as a protected forest, under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
- The site is Mumbai’s primary landfill, processing 6,500 tonnes of waste daily — nearly 90% of the city’s total waste.
- BMC plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, warning of a potential urban waste crisis if operations halt.
🏞️ About the Landfill
- Located on 141.77 hectares, originally classified as forest land due to mangrove cover.
- A 2003 Supreme Court directive allowed temporary use for landfill.
- A 2009 de-notification was quashed by the Bombay HC, citing improper compliance with forest laws.
🔬 Current Waste Processing
- 4,000 tonnes/day treated in bioreactor landfill – speeds decomposition and recovers:
- Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF)
- Compost
- 2,000 tonnes/day go through material recovery facility (MRF) for sorting.
🌱 Environmental & Civic Response
- Odour, pollution, and open dumping have caused public health concerns.
- NGOs and activists allege repeated violations of environmental norms.
- Community demand: Decentralised, sustainable solid waste management plans.
🧠GS Paper Mapping
GS3: Infrastructure – Urban Planning Challenges
GS2: Governance – Municipal Responsibility, Civic Response
GS3: Environment – Waste Management Rules, Forest (Conservation) Act
Target IAS-26: Daily MCQs :
đź“Ś Prelims Practice MCQs
Topic:
🧠Prelims MCQ (Type 2 – Two Statements)
Q. With reference to the Kanjurmarg Landfill and related laws, consider the following statements:
1. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 allows forest land to be de-notified through a High Court ruling.
2. The bioreactor landfill process helps in recovering refuse-derived fuel and compost.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A) Only 1 is correct
B) Only 2 is correct
C) Both are correct
D) Neither is correct
🌀 Didn’t get it? Click here (▸) for the Correct Answer & Explanation
âś… Correct Answer: B) Only 2 is correct
🧠Explanation:
• Statement 1 – Incorrect: The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 mandates Central Government approval for diversion of forest land. A High Court cannot directly de-notify it.
• Statement 2 – Correct: Bioreactor landfills accelerate decomposition and enable material recovery, including RDF and compost.
