Bombay HC Raps Badlapur Civic, Environmental Bodies Over Sewage Seepage Into Farmland

Highlighting “serious urban planning and environmental lapses”, the Bombay High Court came down heavily on civic and environmental authorities over untreated sewage flowing into agricultural lands in Badlapur, Thane district, and directed them to take immediate corrective steps.

The HC was hearing a plea by 56-year-old Saritha Selvan, an organic farmer, who alleged that untreated sewage from large housing projects was seeping into her plots in Joveli village. Selvan’s advocate, Sneha Prabhu, argued that despite repeated complaints since May 2024, neither the municipal council nor the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) had taken any action.

The division bench of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Ashwin Bhobe observed that major projects in the area, including the neighbouring Jagannath Galaxy, had come up without MPCB’s consent. “Projects/buildings have been constructed without obtaining the consent from the MPCB to establish and operate such projects,” the court noted.

Show-Cause Notice to Badlapur Civic Body

On August 14, the MPCB had already issued a show-cause notice to the Chief Officer of Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council, flagging the overflow of septic tanks and soak pits from Jagannath Galaxy society. The notice stated that the sewage, mixed with rainwater, was found stagnant near Selvan’s farmland, and also highlighted that the civic body had failed to provide an underground drainage network with connectivity to the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Joveli.

Selvan claimed that the untreated sewage had destroyed her crops and damaged her bungalow, rendering it uninhabitable. “The walls have become persistently damp and unfit for use,” she said in her plea, adding that her livelihood from organic farming had been severely affected.

Court’s Directions to Authorities

The court directed the Thane District Collector to coordinate with the MPCB, the Chief Officer of KBMC and the Ambarnath Tehsildar to identify the source of the sewage and ensure “effective corrective steps by following due procedure in law.” The bench also took note that MPCB had already issued notices to the civic body and Jagannath Galaxy.

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The petition was disposed of, but the court made it clear that accountability must follow. “We expect the authorities to address the grievance and take the issue to a logical end,” the order said, directing the agencies to file a joint compliance report before October 15, 2025.

Larger Concerns on Urban Planning Lapses

The matter highlights what the bench termed as “serious lapses in urban planning, environmental non-compliance and regulatory accountability” in Badlapur, where large housing projects are mushrooming without basic civic infrastructure.