Flying squad to keep Panvel’s Gadhi river litter-free

Navi Mumbai The efforts of youngsters, who have been cleaning the seasonal Gadhi river have yield positive result. The civic body is all set to install a nirmalya

Navi Mumbai The efforts of youngsters, who have been cleaning the seasonal Gadhi river have yield positive result. The civic body is all set to install a nirmalya kalash near the river side.

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Flying squad will also be deployed to keep an eye on dumping waste which also includes hazardous bio medical waste.

Prashant Rasal, deputy municipal commissioner, said, “Dumping of biomedical waste and burning them along the river was rampant. Flying squad comprising four officials has been asked to keep a tab on dumping of all kinds waste. Nirmalya kalash would also be installed to ensure that all floral and other waste is not dumped into the river,” said Rasal.

The first floral waste bin will be installed near Chipale bridge at Panvel.

Residents as well as NGO Nisargmitra have been carrying out plantation activities for a greener area.

Sachin Shinde, president of Nisargmitra, said biomedical waste is hazardous and burning them can lead to more pollution, “After the nirmalya kalash is installed, we will generate awareness among people discouraging them to throw waste in the open.”

The 22-km-long Gadhi river starts from Gadheshwar dam and flows only during monsoon.

Around 35 villages and padas surround the river. Villagers blame unchecked encroachments near the river for the litter and flood. The increase in waste has reduced the width of the river, choking it during monsoon.

Many of the villages in Panvel were flooded this monsoon.

“As Gadhi is a seasonal river, water is visible in small pockets. If hutments crop up unchecked along the river banks, then flooding is bound to happen,” said a city-based activist Vijendra Raghpal.

“The river should be kept clean so that homes are not flooded during monsoon. The civic body should curb illegal encroachments near the river bank,” he said.

Vichumbe, Palidevad and Sukapur are few of the villages located near the river.

The 8km stretch between Vichumbe and Panvel is the most polluted. There is no proper drainage system in the area and waste flows into the river.

The river was an important source of water for the nearby villages.

Avinash Pathare, 74, a resident of Chipale, said it is important to revive the river. “The river has lost its glory. It used flow uninterrupted through the villages to join the backwaters in Panvel. We had never seen any flood but in the past five years dumping of waste has increased and the river water swells.”