Debris dumping on law university plot sparks inquiry | Mumbai news

The road to a law degree may be littered with challenges but the one that leads to the Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) in Goregaon (West) appears to be filled with old furniture, plastic waste, paver blocks and construction debris.

A complaint filed by Sandesh Desai, vibhag president of the Versova Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) with the Borivali tehsildar’s office, alleges unauthorised disposal of debris on the property. The complaint also states that it is endangering mangroves and a lake at the site. Acting on the complaint, the Borivali tehsildar has issued a notice to P South ward and ordered a joint inspection of the land.

The site in question covers 70 acres, of which 35 acres have been reserved for a new MNLU campus. Land-filling was originally allowed to assist in building a 1.5-km approach road to the proposed campus. Permission was granted to dump only soil. Instead, all manner of debris is being dumped here.

Desai’s complaint states that “thousands of trucks” are indiscriminately dumping debris on the Goregaon Hill plot, without permission. The debris has blocked a lake at the site, which will lead to flooding in the Andheri-Lokhandwala locality during the next monsoon.

“These materials are pieces of furniture and construction debris instead of loose soil meant for land filling to develop a road in that area. Additionally, hundreds of vehicles are violating the Minor Minerals Act daily through the unauthorised transportation and dumping of these materials,” Desai’s letter states.

“Significant landfilling extends beyond the newly constructed road, with some filled areas located within 50mt of protected mangrove land and a lake. Further observations indicate that large-scale landfilling has been conducted in other sections of the road as well,” added Desai.

In response to the complaint, Borivali tehsildar, Daresh Chappalwar, has ordered a joint inspection of the plot. A copy of his October 10, 2024, letter to Sanjay Jadhav and other officials is with HT. The investigation will include a comprehensive survey of the landfilling activities, a detailed panchnama (inspection report), and the collection of crucial information such as land ownership records, demarcation maps, and plot numbers.

Sanjay Jadhav, with the tehsildar’s office, said the dumping has not impacted the mangrove area, which can be verified using historical Google images. He said that, according to the Development Plan, the plot covers 70 acres, of which 35 acres have been reserved for the construction of the law university. “The remaining land falls under the residential zone and is open to construction. No visible mangroves have existed on the plot since at least 2007, based on images from that year and from 2013,” he said.

He said the Chief Justice of India is expected to visit the site in about two weeks. “A 1.5-km road is currently being constructed to provide access to the university, with permission from the urban development department, for landfilling and soil dumping. Once the road is completed, it will be surrendered to the relevant authorities, and the land will be handed over for the construction of the law university building,” added Jadhav.