Activists have taken up the cause with regard to similar plants in Dahisar, Magathane, Goregaon and Mulund
Mumbai : After protests from citizens and activists led to the shutting down of one Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plant in Malad last month, activists have taken up the cause with regard to several similar plants in Dahisar, Magathane, Goregaon and Mulund.
The protests are against plants that are believed to be within the 100-metre radius of Sanjay Gandhi National Park – an eco-sensitive zone where no construction is allowed.
Godfrey Pimenta from Watchdog foundation, who has taken up the issue on behalf of the residents of these localities, has written to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) urging it to probe into the issue.
He said that the MPCB has decided to monitor the air quality in these areas before deciding on the future course of action.
RMC plants prepare the mixture of concrete used in construction. After several citizens from Malad persistently protested against three plants in the vicinity, one of them was shut down last month.
Watchdog foundation and the citizens of these areas claim that pollution from these plants leads to a lot of respiratory problems and allergies. Chandrakant Nyhal, who lives in Khan Compound in Dahisar, adjacent to an RMC plant said, “Many people in my locality have left because of the menace of this plant. I do not want to leave as I have lived here for over 20 years. This plant came up in 2011 only.”
Nyhal has a four-year-old son who constantly suffers from cough and cold. A week ago, his body bloated up and developed an angry red rash. Doctors have attributed these health problems to exposure to high levels of pollution caused by these plants.
According to Nyhal, the RMC plant beside his house has shown blatant disregard for all MPCB norms. It is mandatory to bring 33% of the available open land under green cover where an RMC Plant is in operation. Moreover, such a plant cannot be constructed within 100 meters of a residential area or a school. Pimenta said, “They have not followed these norms.”
Despite repeated efforts to reach the official of the MPCB in charge of this issue, he remained unavailable for comment.
Eeshanpriya MS
