MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has instructed all civic authorities in Maharashtra to withhold the issuance of Occupancy Certificates (OC) for any structure until developers comply with building permissions and establish effective sewage management.
A bench composed of Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Abhay Mantri acknowledged the significant issues arising from sewage dumping into the Ulhas River, noting the absence of adequate Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at 438 purported unauthorized structures in Thane district.
The court was considering a petition from a Badlapur resident highlighting illegal constructions by a developer. It mandated that the municipal council must take action to curb the discharge of sewage into the Ulhas River.
In light of the severity of the situation, the High Court prohibited all Maharashtra authorities, including civic bodies and local councils, from granting OCs unless the structures adhere to approved plans and building permissions and, crucially, unless STPs are built for high-rise properties.
Additionally, the court ordered authorities to assess all buildings lacking an STP unless their sewage pipelines connect to the local underground drainage system.
The court stated, “Authorities must consider blacklisting developers and construction companies that fail to provide sewage management solutions for their properties.” It also mentioned that any future cases of OCs being issued without proper facilities would result in blacklisting these builders and potential actions against the civic authorities involved.
The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on January 28.
