'Take action against mill'

A day after Hindustan Times reported the high level of pollutants in Bhatsa river which supplies 60 per cent of Mumbai’s water both the BMC and the MPCB have taken up the issue, reports Sayli Udas Mankikar.

A day after Hindustan Times reported the high level of pollutants in Bhatsa river which supplies 60 per cent of Mumbai’s water both the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have taken up the issue.

HT Image

While the BMC is writing a letter to MPCB requesting it to take action against Liberty Oil Mill, located in Shahpur, Thane district, for dumping waste into the river, the MPCB will reinvestigate the case. The pollution board had investigated the July 10 fish-dying incident and not detected effluent in the water. It had also given the mill a clean chit.

“When the incident (of fish dying) took place, the prima facie report did not show presence of oil. But as the report by the Central Institute of Fisheries Education shows high oil presence, I have ordered a reinvestigation,” Sanjay Khandare, member secretary of MPCB, told HT.

The Fisheries institute has indicated that the fish died of choking as there is high oil content in the water — 89 mg of oil and grease in a litre of water; the permissible limit is 10 mg.

The BMC insists the water is safe. “We are testing the water continuously as a matter of precaution,” Additional Municipal Commissioner Anil Diggikar said. “We will ask MPCB to take action against the mill.” Thane Collector S.S. Zende, under whose jurisdiction Bhatsa falls said: “There is no need to dwell on old issues.”