Navi Mumbai: Kharghar residents complain of foul smell from waste dumped on wetlands

Several residents of Kharghar had to bear a pungent smell on February 9, following the dumping of sacks filled with unidentified powder on the wetlands of Sector 16, behind Vastu Vihar society in Kharghar

Several residents of Kharghar had to bear a pungent smell on February 9, following the dumping of sacks filled with unidentified powder on the wetlands of Sector 16, behind Vastu Vihar society in Kharghar.

Sacks of waste dumped on the wetlands of Kharghar. (HT Photo)

An alert resident from the society took to Twitter and alerted the authorities following which the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) officials took a sample on Thursday to verify its content.

Seema Tank (40), resident of Vastu Vihar, said, “On February 8, two trucks dumped these sacks on the wetlands in Kharghar. It had a strong smell and we were afraid it could be hazardous to the health of the residents around. The pond adjacent had turned completely black after the dumping of the sacks. I Tweeted about it with pictures and videos and also emailed to the board requesting the removal of the sacks dumped.”

The residents of Vastu Vihar were subjected to foul stench for the entire day on February 9.

Umesh Tank, 45, from the society, said, “The dumping was done at around 7.30pm and the next morning, the smell became stronger. We had seen a truck dumping those sacks but when we checked the CCTV footage, we realised that there were two trucks. We informed the police too and they are awaiting reports from MPCB.”

Sachin Aadkar, sub-regional officer who had visited the spot and collected the sample of the powder, said, “Even as we are awaiting the lab results, prima facie it does not seem to be hazardous but looks like waste residue of cement from some factory or it could be ash. When we visited the spot, there was no smell, probably, the smell was only on the day after the dumping. We would be sending the report to the Panvel Municipal Corporation, police and also Cidco as the land belongs to them.”

According to the residents, the land where the dumping was done falls under CRZ. “We visited the spot and found more than 100 sacks dumped there. Depending on the report from MPCB, we will see what can be done,” an officer from Panvel Municipal Corporation said.

Meanwhile, senior police inspector Shatrughn Mali from Kharghar police station said, “We are awaiting the report from MPCB and the CCTV footage. If the report says it is hazardous material, an FIR would be lodged. If it is not hazardous, Cidco or the corporation would levy fine from the ones who dumped the sacks.”