Bombay High Court Blames Citizens for Mumbai’s Flooding, Cites Encroachments and Misuse of Infrastructure The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asserted that Mumbai’s recurring monsoon flooding is a result of citizens’ actions, including blocking drains, encroaching on public land, and misusing infrastructure, calling the crisis “our own creation.” The remarks came during a hearing on a road-widening project in Mandala village, where the court sought the Department of Atomic Energy’s response to a civic body’s plea for land. The court’s observations highlighted systemic issues in how public spaces are managed and used, with Justice Ravindra V Ghuge emphasizing that residents have repeatedly obstructed drainage systems and converted public areas into private spaces. The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad, issued notice to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) regarding the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) request to widen a road in Mandala village on the Sion-Trombay stretch. The civic body had claimed it had cleared encroachments from its portion of the road, leaving the remaining land under the DAE’s jurisdiction. Justice Ghuge criticized the community for its habit of seizing public land, stating that such actions have led to clogged drains and waterlogging. “We have an uncanny knack for grabbing lands,” he remarked, adding that pavement blocks and illegal parking have turned drainage lines into parking lots. The judge further noted that citizens often blame the BMC for flooding but fail to recognize their role in the crisis. “The corporation gave us drainage lines. We filled them up. They put pavement blocks. We started parking our cars on them,” Ghuge said.#bombay_high_court #brihanmumbai_municipal_corporation #department_of_atomic_energy #ravindra_v_ghuge #gautam_ankhad
