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Brick kilns choke Wakad residents, pollute air
Residents allege PMC negligence towards health woes, including breathing ailments and asthma.
Residents of Wakad have alleged that the brick kiln in the area is contributing to air pollution, with many residents complaining of health problems.
Residents of Shonest Towers Co Operative Housing Society, Omega Paradise, Tiara Society and Blue Earth Society on DP road, Wakad, have been complaining about the harmful effects of the smoke emitting from the brick kiln adjoining their boundary since the last two years. Some of the residents claimed that they are suffering from breathing ailments, while asthma has aggravated among senior citizens.
When HT team visited one of the housing societies in the area, smoke was emitting from the kiln due to which most residents kept their apartment terrace doors closed, to avoid brick ash and soot from covering their floors.
“We have written several complaints to various authorities and every one seems to be passing the buck,” said Tejaswini Dhomse Sawai, chairperson of Shonest towers society.
“Even as the brick kiln is very close to residential areas, we were told that there would be a road running through the place where the brick kiln is operating, and hence, we thought of settling here,” Dhomse said.
Another resident said that despite the road being approved, its construction is not yet complete. “The new DP road in Wakad would connect us directly to the national highway and will also be a parallel to the Dutt Mandir road,” said Rajneesh Mishra, another resident, adding that there is no sign of the road nearing completed as the plot housing the brick kiln is in dispute and on rent with three kiln owners.
The society has written letters to the Pimpri Chnichwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) environment health department; Shravan Haldikar, PCMC commissioner,and also to the tehsildar, to take cognisance of the problem. However, the efforts have not yielded results.
Ward number 25, Wakad, is also most neglected as it has political rivalries with each trying to prove the other in terms of new projects.
Speaking to Rahul Kalate, who was elected in this ward, “I am aware of the problems faced by the residents, but they did not approach me, until recently. The kilns belong to two local families, Nimhan and Kathawade. They have been served several notices earlier, but there has been no further action from the tehsildar in removing the kilns from the area. When approached, the brick makers asked for 10 days to clear the area.”
“The kiln closest to our society was recently closed, but the other two are still continuing and causing us a lot of harm, especially in terms of respiratory problems,” said Niranjan Manneri, a resident of Shonest towers and whose terrace overlooks the kilns. Manneri’s family keeps the doors and windows closed to avoid soot and smoke.
“With all windows and doors closed, there is no respite from heat either. The heat and smoke emitting from the kiln adds to the rise in temperature to the extent that even the ceiling fan circulates hot air,” Manneri added.
