No action taken against garbage pile spotted two weeks ago near Vihar Lake

Two weeks after an environmentalist reported a garbage dump near Vihar Lake, no action has been taken, raising concerns over pollution and safety.

Mumbai: Two weeks since an environmentalist complained that she had spotted a garbage dump near Vihar Lake, one of the seven lakes that supply potable water to the city, no action has been taken.

No action taken against garbage pile spotted two weeks ago near Vihar Lake

The garbage pile consisting of furniture scrap, wood, leather, plastic and metal materials was spotted within 76 meters of the lake’s boundaries, just off the road that connects Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Vihar Lake, and Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

An environmentalist, Amrita Bhattacharjee, then filed a complaint to the conservator of forests at SGNP, but the heap of garbage remains at the location, and has even spread onto the slope which descends towards the lake.

Meenal Ravat, a resident of Bhangshila pada said, “Every now and then some heaps of garbage are seen around the area, and then later burnt. A little further from the location, we grow vegetables and the dumping threatens it.” Ravat added that the pile of waste was just below high voltage power lines, making it a “disaster waiting to happen” if someone decided to burn it.

“This (the dumping) poses the danger of water contamination and the destruction of the catchment areas around the lake,” said Bhattacharjee highlighting that the garbage dumping also violates the regulations of eco-sensitive zones. She added that the pipeline road is a highly guarded area where the movement of vehicles and people is restricted. “How the waste reaches a sensitive zone in huge quantities should be investigated and strict actions should be taken against the violators,” said Bhattacharjee.

SGNP officials were unavailable for a comment.