Bombay High Court Slams Indians for Littering Public Places

NEW DELHI: The Bombay high court on Friday came down heavily on Indians who litter public places at home but follow cleanliness rules abroad, saying the same people who "throw garbage on the road without batting an eyelid" in India ensure to put "even a small chocolate wrapper" in the dustbin abroad. The court stressed that maintaining cleanliness is a fundamental duty and called for strict action against offenders. A bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe made the observations while hearing a batch of petitions over pollution, foul odour, gas emissions and health hazards linked to the Kanjurmarg dumping ground in Mumbai. The judges said public participation was essential to keeping the city clean and urged civic authorities to enforce the rules without hesitation. "If a person wants a clean environment, then he or she has a corresponding fundamental duty towards society to maintain cleanliness. We want the civic officials to be ruthless in taking action," the court said according to news agency PTI. Expressing concern over people's attitude towards public cleanliness, the bench said citizens often behave differently once they leave India. "Here, a person will throw garbage on the road without batting an eyelid, but these same people, when abroad, will strictly avoid such behaviour. Even a small chocolate wrapper they will throw in the dustbin," the high court said. The bench then questioned, "Is this the price of liberty and democracy?" The court also voiced concern over the large quantity of plastic waste strewn across public places, observing that even Mumbai's beaches are littered with plastic. It questioned whether such conditions reflected the standards of "a civilised society". The judges noted that garbage dumped on roads and in narrow lanes poses serious health and hygiene risks to residents every day. Referring to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai's slogan 'Swachch Mumbai, Sundar Mumbai, Aapli Mumbai, Sundar Mumbai', the court said the civic body's intention was commendable but was being undermined by irresponsible behaviour from citizens and inadequate enforcement by the municipal machinery.

"It is in these circumstances the role of MCGM's cleanliness machinery wardwise becomes significant, to take all effective steps so that public streets are not used by the citizens as dumping places," the bench observed. The court said failing to enforce the rules would defeat the objective behind the civic body's cleanliness campaign and urged authorities to implement the existing regulations strictly. It also raised concerns over the handling of garbage near heritage landmarks such as Rajabai Tower and the Bombay high court building. The bench observed that tourists, including foreign visitors, often encounter garbage on roads because of poor waste handling by municipal collection vehicles. The high court directed the civic body to take corrective steps within a week, warning that it would otherwise be compelled to pass further orders.