Navi residents complain of gas smell; civic official claims source from Chembur plant

Navi Mumbai residents complain of a strong smell of gas emanating on Tuesday; NMMC disaster management cell and fire brigade flooded with phone calls while Mahanagar gas officials deny leakage in their system

Residents across Navi Mumbai had complained of a strong smell of gas emanating from various parts of the city since 2pm on Tuesday. The disaster management cell of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and fire brigade were flooded with phone calls from people who panicked about the gas leak.

Residents across Navi Mumbai complain of strong gas smell emanating from various parts of the city on Tuesday. NMMC official claims source to be from a plant in Chembur. (For representational purposes only) (BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT FILE PHOTO)

Meanwhile, many took to Twitter to inform about the smell by tagging various officials. The ward officers of Navi Mumbai were also put to task of figuring out if the gas leakage was anywhere in their areas.

A statement released by MGL said, “MGL has been receiving complaints of gas smell from various parts of Navi Mumbai. Our emergency teams equipped with gas detection equipment have visited few areas from where such complaints were received. The gas detection equipment have not indicated any natural gas leakage. We have also not come across any breach in our pipeline system which could result in leakage of gas.”

NMMC claimed the source of smell to be from a Chembur plant.

NMMC assistant municipal commissioner, Sandhya Ambade, said, “After learning about the smell, we spoke to MGL, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, small scale industries and JNPT. The source did not seem to be from Navi Mumbai.”

Meanwhile, another NMMC official said, “BMC has told us that a plant based out of Chembur that regularly emits gases was the source of smell. Usually, the gas gets dissolved in air and nobody feels the smell. But on Tuesday, due to humidity and cloudy weather, the gas did not dissolve in the atmosphere.”

Residents from Vashi, Nerul, Juinagar, Belapur and Kharghar had approached MGL with the complaint of gas smell.