Price of liberty? Bombay HC questions why Indians litter here but stay clean abroad

Hearing petitions on pollution around the Kanjurmarg dumping ground, the Bombay High Court rebuked habitual littering and lax waste handling in Mumbai. It warned that firmer civic enforcement and public responsibility are essential to curb mounting health and hygiene risks.Hearing petitions on pollution around the Kanjurmarg dumping ground, the Bombay High Court rebuked habitual littering and lax waste handling in Mumbai.The Bombay High Court on Friday sharply criticised people for littering in India while following cleanliness rules abroad, and asked if this was the price of liberty and democracy. The court said citizens must be sensitised and civic officials must act firmly to ensure public streets and spaces are not left strewn with garbage.A bench of Justices GS Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe made the remarks while hearing a batch of petitions over pollution, persistent foul odour, gas emissions and health risks faced by residents living near the Kanjurmarg dumping ground in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs. The court also urged the municipal machinery to strictly enforce the rules to improve cleanliness in the city."If a person wants a clean environment, then he or she has a corresponding fundamental duty towards the society to maintain cleanliness. We want the civic officials to be ruthless in taking action," the court said.The bench said, "We have to sensitise our citizens. 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." It then asked, "Is this the price of liberty and democracy?" Referring to the large amount of plastic waste lying in public places, the court said even beaches in the city are flooded with plastic and questioned whether "we are living in a civilised society". It noted that Mumbai faces serious day-to-day hazards because garbage is dumped on main roads and bylanes, leading to major health and hygiene concerns.Referring to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s slogan, "Swachch Mumbai, Sundar Mumbai, Aapli Mumbai, Sundar Mumbai", the court said the intention was clear but was being collectively defeated by citizens and by inaction on the part of the civic 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 said, adding that failure to take effective measures would defeat the civic body’s stated objective.The court also raised concern over the handling of garbage by municipal trucks near heritage sites such as Rajabai Tower and the High Court building. It said many tourists, including foreigners, who visit these places see garbage lying on the roads because of the mishandling of waste by the civic body’s garbage collection trucks.The bench asked the civic body to take appropriate action on this issue within a week, failing which it said it would be constrained to pass orders. Overall, the court underlined that both citizens and the municipal system must act responsibly if the city is to deal with garbage, pollution and the health risks linked to poor waste management.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 31, 2026 23:49 IST