**Bombay High Court Slams Authorities Over Untreated Sewage Flowing into Agricultural Lands in Badlapur**
Highlighting “serious urban planning and environmental lapses,” the Bombay High Court has come down heavily on civic and environmental authorities for allowing untreated sewage to flow into agricultural lands in Badlapur, Thane district. The court has directed these authorities to take immediate corrective steps to address the issue.
The case was heard following a plea by 56-year-old Saritha Selvan, an organic farmer, who alleged that untreated sewage from large housing projects was seeping into her agricultural plots in Joveli village. Selvan’s advocate, Sneha Prabhu, argued that despite repeated complaints lodged since May 2024, neither the municipal council nor the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) had taken any effective action.
The division bench comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Ashwin Bhobe observed that major housing projects, including the neighboring Jagannath Galaxy, had been constructed without obtaining the mandatory consent from the MPCB. “Projects/buildings have been constructed without obtaining the consent from the MPCB to establish and operate such projects,” the court noted sharply.
**Show-Cause Notice to Badlapur Civic Body**
Prior efforts to curb the problem include a show-cause notice issued by the MPCB on August 14 to the Chief Officer of the Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council. This notice flagged the overflow of septic tanks and soak pits within the Jagannath Galaxy society, highlighting that sewage mixed with rainwater was found stagnant near Selvan’s farmland.
Furthermore, the MPCB criticized the civic body for failing to provide an underground drainage network that connects to the sewage treatment plant (STP) in Joveli, which could have prevented this environmental damage.
**Impact on Farmer and Property**
In her plea, Selvan claimed that the untreated sewage had devastated her crops and severely damaged her bungalow, rendering it uninhabitable. “The walls have become persistently damp and unfit for use,” she stated, emphasizing that her livelihood from organic farming has been severely affected by the contamination.
**Court’s Directions to the Authorities**
In response, the court directed the Thane District Collector to coordinate with the MPCB, the Chief Officer of Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council (KBMC), and the Ambarnath Tehsildar to identify the precise source of the sewage contamination. The bench mandated these authorities to ensure “effective corrective steps by following due procedure in law.”
The court also acknowledged that the MPCB had already issued notices to both the civic body and the Jagannath Galaxy housing society. While disposing of the petition, the court made it clear that accountability was non-negotiable: “We expect the authorities to address the grievance and take the issue to a logical end.”
The court further directed the concerned agencies to file a joint compliance report by October 15, 2025.
**Wider Concerns Over Urban Planning Lapses**
This case underscores broader issues which the bench described as “serious lapses in urban planning, environmental non-compliance and regulatory accountability” in Badlapur. The area has witnessed rapid expansion of large housing projects, many of which lack basic civic infrastructure necessary to safeguard environmental and public health.
The Bombay High Court’s stern stance serves as a critical reminder for civic and environmental bodies to uphold their responsibilities and enforce regulations rigorously to prevent such environmental degradation in the future.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/bombay-hc-raps-badlapur-civic-environmental-bodies-over-sewage-seepage-into-farmland
