The next time you savour fresh looking spinach or cauliflower, think of where the green vegetables come from. Sleuths of the Thane (rural) police have launched a crackdown on farming plots that were found to be irrigated with a questionable source of water including drains and dirty water bodies which are downright poisonous for human consumption.
A team from the Bhayandar police station in association with personnel from the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) swooped down on such farmlands located on the road leading to the west side of Mira Road railway station on Friday.
The team destroyed the unhygienic crop and seized diesel-run pumps and other equipment which were apparently used to draw murky water that often contained sewage water. However, no arrests were made till reports, last came in.
The action followed in response to standing instructions issued by Additional SP- Sanjay Kumar Patil. “We are seeking the help of the local civic administration to weed out the illegalities from other areas as well including those located in the Navghar area,” said Patil.
Several patches of land along railway tracks in the twin-city are used to grow vegetables using sewage water, sources said. Notably, the MBMC and the Food and Drug Authorities have conveniently chosen to turn a blind eye towards the illegal and dangerous practice of using untreated wastewater for cultivation, which can directly affect the health of citizens.
