Residents choke as pollution gets severe in Navi Mumbai

The residents submitted a six-point action plan with the pollution board to act upon. Primary demand put up by the association is the relocation of the chemical factories.

Navi Mumbai

Residents choke as pollution gets severe in Navi Mumbai

Six years ago, the Juikar family had shifted from Sion to Vashi, attracted by the healthier, greener environment of Navi Mumbai. However, the family is now contemplating to sell their 2 BHK flat and return to Mumbai as their only son Kian Juikar, three-and-half-years-old, has been persistently complaining of breathlessness and is repeatedly suffering from prolonged cough and cold.

Six months ago, Indraneel Sinha, another resident of the node, permanently relocated to Bangalore. Their three-year-old daughter while coughing threw out black particles, which became the primary factor for change of residence.

The proximity of residential zones to the chemical factories is turning out to be a major health scare for over 30,000 odd residents of Koparkhairane and Vashi area. Residents of sector 26, 28 Vashi and sector 11 of Koparkhairane, aggrieved with the increasing discomfort faced by breathing polluted air, had a meeting the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on Tuesday. The residents submitted a six-point action plan with the pollution board to act upon. Primary demand put up by the association is the relocation of the chemical factories.

Dhoke along with representatives from the node through the representation has sought for continuous monitoring of air quality, declaring the affected areas as buffer zones is also another important demand put forth.

Residents expressed the triad of environmental hazards they are subjected to on a daily basis. “We are surrounded by all types of environmental issues. There is a creek flowing which has brackish water flowing on daily basis. Tere is a railway yard which keeps creating both sound and air pollution by loading and unloading stones used in laying of railway tracks and if this was not enough, there are the chemical factories that keeps releasing poisonous gas into the air and the smog is so bad that we cannot see even the opposite building,” said a resident Apoorva Juikar.

Former corporator Munnavar Patel from Koparkhairane has laid the onus of the situation upon both CIDCO as well as MPCB. “ The factories have been in existence years ago. CIDCO, by tendering plots for residential projects adjacent to the factories, has put residents’ lives at risk. Equally responsible are the MPCB officials who turning a blind eye to the environmental violations. Few years ago, we had maintained a vigil to video record the pollution happening which yielded some results,” said Patel.

Member secretary of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) Dr. Avinash Dhakane has stated that he is looking into the matter. “ I will check into the issue and get the regional office to monitor the pollution level as well as get clarity on the nature of pollution happening. Appropriate action as well as penalty will be imposed,” he said.