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The Bombay High Court has allowed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to use 17,756 sq metres of land in Worli for a sewage treatment plant and related civic infrastructure. The land was originally reserved for this purpose but the reserved area was later reduced from around 27,700 sq metres following a State government order in mid-2024. The court said it will examine how and why this reduction was approved. The developer has assured the court that transit camp structures built on the site will be removed within 90 days.
The Bombay High Court has permitted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take possession of and use around 17,756 sq metres of land in Worli for a sewage treatment plant (STP) and other sewerage-related infrastructure. The land forms part of a larger parcel that was originally reserved under Mumbai's Development Plan for public utilities, including sewerage pumping and solid waste management facilities. Advertisement
The court clarified that the civic body is free to utilise the presently available land for the intended public purpose. At the same time, it said it will closely examine how the total reserved area was reduced from nearly 27,700 sq metres to a smaller portion after a State government order issued in mid-2024. The bench indicated that the legality and authority under which this change in reservation was approved would be reviewed in detail.
The matter came up after a public interest litigation challenged the reduction of the reserved land and the permission granted for construction of transit camp structures on the same plot. These transit camps were linked to a slum rehabilitation project being undertaken by a private developer on the site. During earlier hearings, the court had stayed further construction and raised concerns that the permission granted appeared to favour private development over essential public infrastructure.
During the recent hearing, the developer informed the court that the transit camp buildings constructed on the reserved portion would be dismantled within 90 days, in line with the court's earlier direction. The court recorded this assurance. It also observed that public utility reservations cannot be lightly altered, particularly when the land is required for critical civic infrastructure such as sewage treatment.
The bench further questioned whether the reduction in reserved land could be justified on the ground that a portion of it was encroached upon or included in a redevelopment proposal. It indicated that such reasons would be examined against the provisions of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations, 2034 and the broader planning framework governing reserved lands.
A senior advocate has been appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court in examining the legal aspects of the case. The issue will be taken up in further hearings, where the State government's decision and the process followed for modifying the reservation will come under scrutiny.
The case assumes importance as Mumbai is currently upgrading several sewage treatment facilities under long-pending infrastructure projects aimed at improving wastewater management and meeting environmental standards. The Worli site is considered strategically important for strengthening the city's sewerage network in the island city region.
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