BMC clears NEERI study to assess Kanjurmarg landfill emissions

The study is estimated to cost ₹3 crore and was cleared by the BMC’s Standing Committee on Wednesday

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has cleared a proposal to appoint the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) to conduct a two-year scientific assessment of methane emissions, air pollution and foul odour from the Kanjurmarg solid waste processing facility, amid recurring complaints from residents of surrounding areas such as Kanjurmarg and Vikhroli.

CSIR-NEERI will assess emissions and odour levels around the Kanjurmarg landfill and examine the factors contributing to the complaints from neighbouring residential areas.

The study is estimated to cost ₹3 crore and was cleared by the BMC’s Standing Committee on Wednesday. CSIR-NEERI will assess emissions and odour levels around the facility and examine the factors contributing to the complaints from neighbouring residential areas, officials said.

The move comes against the backdrop of concerns raised by residents before the Bombay High Court over emissions from the Kanjurmarg site. A study based on satellite observations by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) identified Kanjurmarg as a significant methane hotspot.

CSIR-NEERI will submit progress reports after six, 12 and 18 months, followed by a comprehensive final report at the end of the two-year study period, according to the proposal. The assessment is expected to provide scientific data on emissions and odour, and help identify measures required to mitigate their impact on surrounding neighbourhoods, BMC officials said.

Sanjay Yevle, the petitioner before the high court, said that residents had been raising the issue for years and that little had been done to resolve it despite repeated interventions and assurances.

“The issue is that despite so many mechanisms being put in place, and despite so much noise around the issue, nothing seems to have changed. Everything is back to normal this monsoon. Every monsoon, it worsens and this has been no exception,” Yevle said.

Residents of Kanjurmarg East and Vikhroli East have repeatedly complained of foul odour, particularly at night when waste-processing and landfill operations are underway. The proximity of densely populated residential areas to the facility has made odour and air-quality concerns a persistent civic issue.

The proposed study is expected to establish baseline scientific data on methane and other air pollutants, map odour-related impacts and assess the effectiveness of existing mitigation measures.

A senior BMC official claimed that the residents’ complaints had declined after the civic body stepped up monitoring in the wake of the ongoing high court proceedings. Efforts have been taken to ensure that the landfill does not cause any nuisance to residents, the official said.