The responsibility for keeping a city clean cannot be placed entirely on the shoulders of municipal authorities, the Bombay High Court has said, stressing that citizens are equally accountable for the condition of public spaces.
The Court made the observations while hearing a matter concerning solid waste pollution in Mumbai and called for a stronger sense of civic responsibility among residents.
A Bench of Justices GS Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said a city as large and densely populated as Mumbai cannot be kept clean unless citizens actively cooperate with the municipal system.
The Court emphasised that residential areas, markets, slums, roads, footpaths, gardens, open spaces, beaches and other public places must be protected from garbage and filth.
It noted that maintaining public hygiene is a shared obligation and that citizens have a duty to protect the environment and public property.
The Bench warned that careless disposal of waste can have consequences far beyond an unpleasant streetscape. Garbage dumped outside the prescribed disposal system can create breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rodents and stray animals, increasing the risk of diseases such as dengue, malaria, leptospirosis and cholera.
The Court said municipal efforts alone would not be enough if residents continued to ignore basic civic responsibilities.
In a pointed observation, the Bench noted that many people who casually litter public streets in India do not display the same behaviour while travelling abroad.
The Court said greater accountability was needed to address such habits.
The observations came during the hearing of a petition concerning pollution and other environmental concerns allegedly arising from a dumping ground near a residential area.
The civic body informed the Court about several measures undertaken to strengthen waste management, including the installation of CCTV cameras at locations vulnerable to illegal dumping.
Other initiatives include waste collection arrangements in slum areas, collection routes operating in multiple shifts and a mobile application through which residents can lodge civic complaints. The municipal authorities have also launched an initiative aimed at encouraging cleaner wards.
During the hearing, photographs were placed before the Court showing plastic waste clogging open drains in Vikhroli East. Concerns were also raised regarding air quality readings.
The Bench directed ward officials to promptly address complaints relating to blocked drainage. The municipal authorities were also given time to provide further clarification on issues concerning air quality parameters.
The Court expressed hope that sustained efforts by both authorities and citizens could bring visible change.
It observed that collective determination could turn the idea of a clean and green Mumbai from a slogan into reality.
The matter is scheduled to be taken up next on September 10.
