Residents complain of mosquitoes, foul smell as builder disposes sewage into storm water drain

Residents and activists iof Yogi Hills and Swapna Nagari have alleged that the SWD is meant for carrying rainwater from nearby hills during monsoon and releasing sewage in it has resulted in foul smell and damage to the environment.

Mumbai: Residents of Yogi Hills and Swapna Nagari in Mulund have complained of mosquito menace and reported children falling sick due to open disposal of sewage water into a storm water drain (SWD) by the builder of a nearby construction site.

Mumbai, India - April 13, 2023: Bharat Sony, a resident of Yogi Hills, shows the flowing illegal drainage water creating a stink, at Mulund, in Mumbai, India, on,Thursday, April 13, 2023. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

Residents and activists have alleged that the SWD is meant for carrying rainwater from nearby hills during monsoon and releasing sewage in it has resulted in foul smell and damage to the environment.

A representative of Hill Side Residents Welfare Association (HIRWA) said, “There is a SWD here that is meant to take water that flows down from the hills during rains. However, there has been sewage flowing directly into these drains.

“One cannot discharge sewage like that and destroy surrounding nature. There are hundreds of workers, who are living and working on the site, and the outlet from washroom facilities there opens directly into the SWD.”

He added, “When we approached the builder a few months back, we were told that the matter will be resolved, but nothing has changed.”

Mahabir Urs, an activist and a resident, said, “We are not here to create problems for any construction, but they need to do this correctly. We approached the builder many times. They say, ‘we will call back’ but they never do. Besides noise and dust, they are also polluting the hill by discharging sewer water.”

He added, “I got an official of the maintenance department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corportation’s T Ward to visit the site. The official spoke to the builder and asked him to stop discharging sewage into SWD, but nothing has changed.”

Urs said, “It won’t take much time for them to connect their sewer line to the main sewerage line, but they don’t want to do it. Some day they will have to connect it to the sewerage line because they are constructing residential buildings. So, why not do it now?”

Bharat Soni, a resident of Swapna Nagri, said, “As per the BMC policies concerning a developer, even if there is a transit camp, the sewerage line from there must be connected to the nearest available sewerage line, but they have not done it. The foul smell is so strong that you cannot even stand anywhere near it. This path is used by people who go for morning walks in the nearby hill, but now it is filled with sewage.”

Soni added that he had tweeted videos and photographs to the BMC on their official account, despite the T ward taking cognizance, nothing was done. HT reached out to Ashwini Bhide, additional commissioner (eastern suburbs) and Ajay Patne, assistant commissioner of T ward. Both did not respond to HT’s queries.

A representative of Prestige Group said, “As a regular measure, all wastewater is discharged into septic tanks. However, there was a technical malfunction of a pipe, and we fixed the same immediately. As an organisation, we are extremely earth conscious and have taken prompt corrective action.”