Alarmed by 300 AQI in Navi Mumbai, activists urge residents not to burst firecrackers

Air quality in the Vashi and Koparkhairane node in Navi Mumbai has reached dangerous levels, with the air quality index consistently measuring between 250 to 320. Residents are demanding action against chemical factories in the area, which they believe are responsible for toxic gas emissions. The residents have launched a campaign called "Clean Air is my Right" and are taking measures to raise awareness about the issue. The pollution control board maintains that the pollution is caused by vehicular movement.

Navi Mumbai: The concern surrounding the deteriorating environmental conditions of the Vashi and Koparkhairane node in Navi Mumbai has reached its pinnacle. The air quality monitoring station at Kopripada, Vashi has been consistently depicting very poor AQI with figures alternating between 250 to 320 for the last week.

HT Image

From deciding to abstain from bursting crackers during Diwali to getting a third-party agency to test the environment for chemical and harmful gases independently, the affected citizens are determined to leave no stone unturned to breathe less polluted air.

“The state pollution board just doesn’t want to get into the root of the issue which is the release of the toxic gases by the chemical factories situated in the MIDC area during midnight. We are forced to ask residents to abstain from bursting crackers as MPCB will use this as a reason for the pollution in the area. Even now when residents are complaining of smelling toxic chemicals and having burning sensations in eyes and skin, the MPCB still maintains that the pollution is caused by rapid vehicular movement,” said a resident and activist Sanket Doke.

Sanket along with several concerned residents have taken up the campaign – Clean Air is my Right - since October 8. Every Saturday, residents participate in a sit-down strike in the node and decide the measures to be taken to address the situation.

In the meeting convened on November 4, it was proposed to conduct street plays to convince residents to abstain from bursting crackers and alert them about the health hazards caused due to breathing polluted air. Additionally, members participating in the fight have also suggested creating awareness about the fight as well as the situation by hiring an auto and making public announcements.

“I have been monitoring the AQI of the node for nearly 3 weeks and it has been always on the higher side. On Monday, the AQI at 8am was recorded as 320. We are living in a gas chamber. Through the entire node, there is always a haze present. Since MPCB has failed to identify the cause, we are now considering roping in government-authorised agencies to do the needful,” said another resident Prof Vinil Kumar Singh.

Activists say both MPCB And NMMC do not possess the required equipment to detect the presence of chemicals in the air. On October 11, MPCB undertook a site visit and residents accompanying had asked the officials to take a tour of the MIDC belt as well. “Both NMMC and MPCB don’t have particle analysis machinery through which the kind of chemical present can be detected. Presently residents are smelling sulphur and ammonia-like gases and to ascertain this we are forced to get a third party involved,” said Prof Singh.

MPCB maintains their monitoring stations are equipped to detect more than 100 forms of pollutants. The current pollution is stated to be related to PM10 which is largely emanating from vehicles. “We have already issued directives to all the stakeholders concerned to mitigate the pollution. During the site visit conducted in the middle of the night, no chemical smell was detected and the high pollutant recording is due to the continuous movement of vehicles,” said a senior official from MPCB.