Garbage dumping ground in mangroves area of Uran to be beautified

Garbage dumping ground of about four hectares in the mangroves area of Uran across Mumbai harbour would soon be beautified following a Bombay High Court order and then handed over to the forest department

The nearly four-hectare garbage dumping ground in the mangroves area of Uran across Mumbai harbour would soon be beautified following a Bombay High Court order and then handed over to the forest department.

Garbage dumping ground in mangroves area of Uran to be beautified. Uran Municipal Council has initiated the process of scientific closure of the dumping ground through bio-mining and bio-remediation process. The work costing ₹10.50 lakh started on January 21 and is expected to be completed in three months. (HT PHOTO)

Uran Municipal Council (UMC), which was at the receiving end of the greens for allegedly dumping garbage on mangroves and wetland at Bori Pakhadi, has initiated the process of scientific closure of the dumping ground through bio-mining and bio-remediation process.

Following a tender, a private firm has been entrusted with the contract for separating wet garbage for compost and the rest for scientific disposal. The work costing ₹10.50 lakh started on January 21 and is expected to be completed in three months.

Santosh Mali, chief executive officer of UMC, said, “The dumping ground plot at Bori Pakhadi had been given to UMC in 2007 by Raigad Collector. In 2011, there were litigations and objections by local residents on the stench. Meanwhile, mangroves that were not there earlier, too, came up nearby due to the presence of the creek. A PIL was then filed by Hanuman Koliwada Machchimar Vikas Sanstha Maryadit in 2018.”

Mali added, “We have signed an agreement with CIDCO accordingly. Thirteen tons of garbage is generated in Uran daily, which is now dumped at Chal as we stopped using our dumping ground at Bori Pakhadi since December 10. In fact, on receiving information that some illegal dumping was taking place at night, we started 24 hours vigilance by setting up a chowki there with personnel and also installed CCTV cameras. The approach road too has been closed.”

UMC decided to remove the almost 15-year-old garbage dumps and hand over the area to the forest department. The scientific closure process has begun. The entire area will be properly levelled and handed over to the forest department for conserving the mangroves.

Hanuman Koliwada, a resettlement of a displaced fishing community from Sheva, is in the vicinity of the garbage dump at Bori Pakhadi, which also has been posing health hazards.

Bori Pakhadi residents, who had to brave the suffocating smoke from frequent fires at the dump apart from the stink and insect menace, now heaved a sigh of relief.

“It is like the end of a 14-year-long life-term fight for justice,” said Samir Ashrit, who, along with Yuva Uran platform, spearheaded the campaign.