Mumbai : The Maharashtra government is facing legal scrutiny after a Mulund-based activist and lawyer, Sagar Devre, issued a legal notice challenging the state cabinet’s decision to allocate the Deonar dumping ground for the Dharavi Rehabilitation Project (DRP). The notice, sent on April 22, 2025, was addressed to the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development and Environment Departments, as well as the Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), reported the Hindu.
Devre cited violations of environmental norms and public safety concerns, arguing that the move breaches the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines. These rules prohibit construction on closed landfill sites for 15 years and mandate a 500-meter buffer zone around such areas. He also referenced Schedule-I of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000, which emphasize long-term post-closure care of landfill sites before considering them for residential use.
The legal notice highlights the alarming environmental risks posed by the decision. Deonar is not even a closed landfill, the activist stressed, and remains one of the top 22 methane-emitting sites in India, releasing an estimated 6,202 kg of methane per hour. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, contributes significantly to global warming. Additionally, the landfill generates toxic leachate that threatens to contaminate groundwater sources.
“The construction of housing over these methane-heavy, rotting waste lands is not only dangerous but irresponsible,” said Devre. He further revealed that the Mulund dumping ground is also under consideration for the same project.
The State Housing Department, in a letter dated January 10, 2024, directed the Urban Development Department and BMC to utilize 46 acres of Mulund dumping land and 18 acres of octroi land to construct rental housing for the 3–4 lakh Dharavi residents deemed ineligible under the main rehabilitation plan.
The activist has urged immediate cancellation of the plan, warning of legal consequences if the government fails to comply.
