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Edinburgh Live
3 days ago
- General
- Edinburgh Live
Moment raging Edinburgh local captures man in 'gross act' next to bins on scheme
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Edinburgh resident has fumed after spotting a van driver fly tipping. The incident was captured on camera on Wednesday morning at around 11am on Magdalene Gardens. The concerned local saw the driver dumping what is believed to be commercial waste in public bins. He said the bins are 'overflowing' and is concerned of potential pest infestations. The discarded rubbish is understood to have included cans of oil and bags of rubbish. The resident, who has asked to remain anonymous, told us: "I have photos of van fly tipping commercial waste in public bins in a housing estate at Magdalene Gardens. "Won't be the first time they have done this. Not sure if it's happened more than once, but they seemed to know the location and were happy to do it. (Image: Supplied) "Guessing it's not their first rodeo. The impact on the area is, over flowing bins which could result in mice and rat infestation as well as the locals not being able to use the bins provided. "This also has a wider impact on local authorities having to clean up the mess left on behalf of the taxpayers." Edinburgh Council officials lay out guidelines for businesses and their waste on their website. They state: "All businesses in Scotland have a legal obligation to separate their waste for recycling and dispose of it via a licensed waste carrier. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox "This is called your duty of care and is part of the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and the Environmental Protection Act (1990). Legally you must recycle and dispose of your waste safely and in an environmentally friendly way. "A licensed waste carrier will ensure this is done. Keeping our city clean and green helps to encourage tourism, business investment and retail customers - all of which can benefit Edinburgh businesses."
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra legislative council member Anil Parab alleges mangrove destruction and land filling in Andheri CRZ
Mumbai: About 350 acres of land near the coastal and mangrove areas of Lokhandwala Back Road in Andheri (West) is being illegally levelled by cutting mangroves and trees and filling the land and it is leading to severe environmental and biodiversity degradation, said Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab during a calling attention motion in the legislative council on Monday. Despite being within a 50-metre buffer zone from private properties, unauthorised filling was reported, violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Rules, 2011, and the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, said Parab. In her reply, environment and climate change minister Pankaja Munde said that an FIR was registered and a Rs 27 crore penalty imposed on those violating rules. Of the 350 acres, 70 acres were in the development zone, of which 35 acres were reserved for the National Law University, said the minister. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Parab countered her, saying: "The area has been a habitat for migratory birds for many years, and the illegal filling destroyed their habitat, causing mangrove loss and obstructing natural water flow, increasing the risk of coastal flooding and other disasters, impacting Mumbai's environmental safety. The govt's negligence in addressing this issue highlights the urgent need for a thorough investigation, immediate removal of unauthorised filling, environmental impact assessment, and strict legal action under MPDA (Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, and Dangerous Persons Act). " Munde said that she will institute an inquiry committee. She informed the house that she will personally visit the site, along with the guardian minister and council members, to check the violations — especially whether mangroves are impacted. In that case, she will take stringent action. Parab, during his speech over the calling attention motion, said there were 2,500 vehicles spotted lately for the landfill. "My demand is that the land filling should be stopped and stringent action taken. Such a huge area has been encroached in the prime part of the city, and the state should take this seriously," he said. Deputy chairperson of the council Neelam Gorhe said that it was an important discussion on a serious issue. "The outcome should be time-bound. The minister should expedite the setting up of the inquiry panel and also visit the site at the earliest to verify the extent of violations," she said. Sachin Ahir of the Shiv Sena (UBT) said that such CRZ violations were seen in other parts of western suburbs as well.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Woman fined over £400 by her council for flytipping for strange reason
A woman has been fined more than £400 - after paying for someone to dispose of her rubbish. Tyler Marie Richards employed them to remove a pile of 20 bin bags from her property in Bridge Street, Tonypandy. The mountain of waste included a plastic kennel, 15 of general rubbish, four recycling bags, a cardboard box and a pile of general loose garbage. But she was left horrified when she was tracked down after the sea of waste was discovered strewn across the residential area of Penrhys in Ronda Cynon Taf. Ms Richards then failed to engage with Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council's enforcement officers - and the local authority decided to take court action against her, WalesOnline reports. And she was fined £120 alongside clean-up costs of £255.51 and a victim surcharge of £48 after she was found guilty of failing to control her waste and committing an offence under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In total she was fined a stunning £423.51 - despite not fly-tipping any rubbish herself. But the furious council blasted Ms Richards furiously telling the newspaper that 'fly-tipping will not be tolerated, ever'. Councillor Ann Crimmings said: 'There is never an excuse to blight our, towns, lanes, streets and villages with waste, and we will find those responsible and hold them to account. 'If your waste is fly tipped, you could be fined along with the individual or company you paid to remove it. 'We will use every power available to us to hold those accountable for their actions.' Official figures recently suggested flytipping in England has risen to its highest level in almost 20 years. Environment Secretary Steve Reed vowed to toughen up enforcement after reported cases of illegal dumping passed 1.15million in 2023-2024. The figure is an increase of six per cent from the 1.08million the previous year and the highest level in the six years since the current method for reporting was brought in. The statistics also revealed a year-on-year fall in the number of fixed penalty notices issued for flytipping and a decline in the number of court-issued fines. Analysis of the data revealed London as a major hotspot, with eight boroughs in the top 10 local authorities for overall dumping and the highest proportion by population. The London Borough of Croydon was said to be the flytipping capital of the UK with 35,470 recorded incidents, according to an analysis of government data published covering the period from April 2023 to March 2024. Across England, the scourge of fly-tipping represnted a 6.2 per cent increase on the previous year and the second consecutive annual rise recorded. Nottingham and Liverpool were also included in the top 10, with other places towards the highest levels being Birmingham and Bradford. Last year some 60 per cent of cases involved household waste, with 688,000 incidents of illegally dumped rubbish from homes - ranging from black bags of waste to the contents of shed clearances, furniture, carpets and DIY. The most common places for flytipping to occur were on pavements and roads, accounting for 37 per cent of incidents. Almost one third, or 31 per cent, of incidents were the size of a small van load. And another 28 per cent amounted to the equivalent of a car boot or less of rubbish. Meanwhile, four per cent were the size of a tipper lorry load or bigger. Large flytipping incidents have cost £13.1million for local authorities to clean up, research showed. Mr Reed has said: 'Flytipping is a disgraceful act which trashes communities and its increase is unacceptable. Communities and businesses shouldn't have to put up with these crimes. 'This Government will crack down on fly tipping and punish rubbish dumpers, forcing them to clean up their mess.'
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
HC dismisses pleas against govt decision to give Mayor's bungalow for Thackeray Memorial
The Bombay High Court Tuesday dismissed petitions challenging permission given by the Maharashtra Government to convert the Mayor's Bungalow in the city's Shivaji Park area into a memorial for late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. The court said that it did not find any valid ground for challenging the decision. The division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Sandeep V Marne noted that the work of setting up of the memorial is 'virtually complete' and that it is a policy decision by the government in which the court is not inclined to interfere. It said that the petitioners who filed the PILs were not opposed to the memorial itself and their challenge to the site chosen by the government was outside the scope of judicial review. 'When it comes to setting up of memorials for leaders and persons revered for their contribution, it is also well settled that such act constitutes a public purpose and decision of the executive to set up a memorial to commemorate such persons, is a matter of policy of the State,' the court said. A Government Resolution was issued in 2016 granting approval for setting up of the memorial at Mayor's Bungalow and for constitution of a public trust, the Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Samiti, for the purpose and its construction is nearly complete. 'This court also takes notice of the fact that the work of setting up of the Memorial is virtually complete by now. Mr. Khambata (senior advocate appearing for the trust) a has taken us through the photographs of the site, which shows that the grandiose structure of Mayor's Bungalow has not only been kept intact, but has been restored. Its heritage significance is not disturbed. Since the work of setting up of the Memorial is virtually complete by now, this could be yet another reason for this Court not to interfere in the impugned decisions and actions,' the court said. Four Public Interest Litigations (PIL) by activists and NGO Jan Mukti Morcha, challenged the decision, claiming that the proposed construction violated the Environmental Protection Act and the Coastal Zone Regulation notification. The petitioners also claimed that since the bungalow, built in 1928, is a heritage structure, it cannot be converted into a memorial. Lawyer Uday Warunjikar appearing for the NGO submitted before the court that decision by the state government was arbitrary and that the petitioners are not opposing the setting up of a memorial for Thackeray but the site chosen and the manner in which the trust is set up, like a 'private trust'. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the state government opposed the petitions stating that the plot on which the memorial is to be constructed does not fall within green zone anymore, since it was earmarked for residential zone through a government notification, as per provisions of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act. Senior advocate Darius Khambata appearing for the Trust said that all procedure was followed in the allotment of the bungalow. Senior advocate Anil Sakhare appearing for the BMC said the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee had given a no-objection for the proposed change of the bungalow to a memorial museum. The civic body also submitted that all necessary procedures were followed for its construction. The court also noted that while the petitioners challenged the composition of the trust, calling it a 'family affair', only three of its 11 members are members of Shiv Sena, two of whom, Thackeray's son, Uddhav, and grandson, Aditya, are actual family members. 'After all, late Balasaheb Thackeray founded Shiv Sena political party and it can hardly be contended that the decision of the State Government in taking on board three members of that party, two out of whom are infact family members of late Balasaheb Thackeray, would amount to arbitrariness,' the court said. It also said that any land chosen in Mumbai would have been valuable and hence the allotment of the land on lease with a nominal rent of Re 1, is also a policy decision it cannot interfere with.
United News of India
01-07-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
HC dismiss PIL challenging move to convert Mayor bungalow into Thackeray memorial
Mumbai, July 1 (UNI) The Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the Maharashtra government's decision of 2017 to convert an old Mumbai mayor bungalow at Shivaji Park in Dadar area of central Mumbai into a memorial for late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. The division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Sandeep V Marne dismissed the petition during the hearing of the PIL filed by social activist Bhagwanji Riyani, challenging the decision, claiming that the proposed construction violated the Environmental Protection Act and the Coastal Zone Regulation notification. The petitioners also claimed that since the bungalow, built in 1928, is a heritage structure, it cannot be converted into a memorial. The PIL before the court also challenged the state government's decision to allocate ₹100 crore as a budget for setting up the memorial. The PIL also assailed an amendment to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act by which BMC was allowed to leave an immovable property of the corporation to any person at a nominal rate of ₹1 per annum. The petition said that the entire machinery was being moved for a private individual when the amount could be used for other important things. The Maharashtra government in its response said it was the state's discretion to allot land and money for the memorial. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) also defended the construction and told the High Court that all requisite permissions were obtained and procedures followed before allotting land for the memorial. In its affidavit filed before the High Court, the BMC stated that due process of law had been followed before allotting land for the memorial in Mumbai at a nominal rate. The bench passed the order after hearing both petitioner and respondents at length. UNI AAA PRS
