MUMBAI, April 25 -- The Bombay High Court on Friday warned that it would order the closure of the Kanjurmarg dumping ground if the Maharashtra government and civic authorities in Mumbai did not act immediately and take concrete steps to curb pollution and hazardous methane emissions at the site. A division bench of justices Girish Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe slammed the state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for their "casual approach" in monitoring the situation and directed them to convey the seriousness of the matter to the senior-most administrative officers and the deputy chief minister. "We are taking all the efforts and have also appointed committees to review the situation, but you're taking it in a very lax manner," the bench said. "We will pass an order and will stop the operation of the dumping ground. You're least bothered about these reports. This committee, your officers, nothing works for the citizens. Nothing has improved. If we are convinced that the situation is in violation of the Constitution, we will pass a very drastic order." The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by residents, NGO Vanashakti, and others, challenging the continued dumping of municipal solid waste at the Kanjurmarg dumping ground, located in the heart of a densely populated area. The petitions focus on various aspects of the landfill, including hazardous methane emissions affecting thousands of residents in the immediate vicinity. During Friday's hearing, the court relied on a few scientific reports to flag concerns about methane emissions at the site, noting that the gas is worse than carbon dioxide. "If the highest officials are not taking this as a crisis, we will stop the functioning of the dumping ground, which will help you to take steps for the citizens", the bench said. Meanwhile, the high-powered committee appointed by the state government to look into the matter informed the court that it could not visit other countries to study how major global cities manage their solid waste, as it had earlier proposed, due to the ongoing war in West Asia. During the hearing on February 24, the committee had suggested both short- and long-term measures to curb pollution at the landfill, including visits to large-scale waste-to-energy facilities in cities such as Dubai, Shenzhen, and Tokyo, before finalising long-term technological upgrades. However, the petitioners reiterated on Friday that the dumping ground had exposed nearby residents to harmful emissions, adding that they have been treated as "guinea pigs" by the authorities for years. After hearing both sides, the court granted the authorities one "last opportunity" to take immediate action, failing which, it said, the dumping ground would be closed. "Considering human life to be paramount, the state should start working from today itself to find an alternative site, which is not affected by human habitation. If we find any adverse impacts, we will shut the dumping ground," it said. The bench further indicated that it may "impose liabilities" on the officers responsible for the lapses. "Things are not mended at all. Your pollution officers are not doing anything; no one is doing anything it seems," the bench stated. Calling it a matter of "urgency", the court granted the authorities time till April 27 to file detailed affidavits on the steps to be taken to curb pollution and monitor methane emissions at Kanjurmarg....