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Taloja industries polluting nodes: Kharghar residents to protest on Feb 27
Fed up of the increasing air pollution, the members of Kharghar Taloja Residents’ Welfare Association (KTC-WA) have called a protest against Maharashtra Pollution
Fed up of the increasing air pollution, the members of Kharghar Taloja Residents’ Welfare Association (KTC-WA) have called a protest against Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on February 27.
They will stage a protest at MPCB office, Raigad Bhavan, between 11am and 1pm.
The residents complained that air pollution has been increasing for the past three years because of industries at Taloja and blamed MPCB for failing to curb pollution.
Mangesh Ranawade, chairperson KTC-WA, said, “The residents of Kharghar, Roadpali, Panvel and adjoining areas have been breathing poisonous air because of polluting industries at Taloja.”
The residents’ organisation has appealed to people to join the protest. Members have asked residents to take half-day leave from office for the protest.
“Air pollution in and around Taloja has led to health problems. Many are suffering from respiratory diseases for long,” said Unmesh Rane, 40, a Kharghar resident. Panvel and Roadpali are also facing air pollution.
The residents have staged many protests but are still waiting for a solution.
A MPCB official said, “We are trying to solve the problem. We have installed air quality meters on a trial basis and soon they will be installed in all affected areas.”
Residents had recently done an independent air quality check wherein it was found that the air quality index (AQI) for particulate matter (PM) 2.5 is at 140 against the normal range of 60; AQI for PM 10 was 270 against the normal of 100.
The test was conducted for sectors 34, 35 which share a close proximity with Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Taloja. The test was done by Pune’s SGS lab, a testing lab approved by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and ministry of environment and forests (MoEF).
