Residents of Maharashtra’s Badlapur wake up to strong smell of chemicals

Followed by several complaints, a fire brigade team of Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council (KBMC) examined the industrial area and other regions.

Residents of Badlapur in Maharashtra’s Thane district woke up once again to the foul stench of chemicals which was being released in several parts of the city since Sunday night. Officials are yet to identify the cause of the smell. Residents of areas like Katrap, Manjarli, Belavli complained of a strong smell of chemicals in the area leading to suffocation throughout the night, officials said.

Earlier in June, followed by a gas leak in Badlapur, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) Kalyan division sent closure directions to a private company. (iStock)

Followed by several complaints, a fire brigade team of Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council (KBMC) examined the industrial area and other regions.

“We did not find any discharge into the waterbody or emission of gas from any company but there was a strong smell in the air. Our team kept checking all the areas till late night,” said Bhagwat Sonone, fire officer, Badlapur.

Sharda Narekar, 24, a resident of Patil Nagar, Majarli (West) said, “The smell was very strong from 9 to 12 pm and it was very suffocating. These incidents are repeated often in Badlapur and we have complained about it several times in the past.”

“We are checking the cause of the smell and are yet to come to a conclusion. If there is any violation, action will be taken,” said an officer of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Kalyan division.