Residents of Nahar Amrit Shakti housing complex are facing a massive problem of air pollution caused by illegal factories in the vicinity. The health of over one lakh citizens is being adversely impacted. The air quality has been deteriorating for the past three months.
The cause of the pollution is said to be the illegal factories that are melting steel and aluminium in furnaces and turning them into small pieces for sale. Metal waste is regularly burnt in the furnaces emitting thick and toxic smoke. The factory owners have installed chimneys since exhaust fans are not adequate to disperse the smoke from their units. The wind transports the smoke towards Nahar Amrit Shakti complex. No worthwhile pollution control measures appear to have been taken by the factory owners.
Dr Neeraj Tulara, an infectious disease specialist and a local resident said "People living in the vicinity of Kherani Road are prone to respiratory problems if the issue is not solved early. In the long-term, the inhalation of metal fumes can affect the liver, and kidney and can cause lung cancer".
BMC measures not enough to curb pollution levels
Though the BMC had earlier demolished six laundry boilers, eleven foundry furnaces and seized six LPG cylinders were seized the action has had no effect. The ward office had also sent formal notices to these illegal factories this month. But it is business as usual. n April 2023. Complaints to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have fallen on deaf ears.
"There are many unauthorised units in the area that are melting scrap metals. No action is being taken by the BMC authorities to solve the problem", says Sukhjit Singh Atwal, a resident of Nahar Amrit Shakti Complex.
Residents want persistent actions
The residents are demanding consistency in the actions of the BMC . They want the authorities to take persistent actions in enforcing environmental regulations and seek greater accountability for their actions. "There is no fear of law among the owners of these illegal factories. The citizens are facing the consequences of their illegal actions", says Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association.
