The discharge of untreated industrial effluent into the nullah s and creeks of Navi Mumbai has residents and local fishermen complaining about pollution and loss of livelihood, who say civic and State government authorities are indifferent to taking the guilty to task.
Residents of Koparkhairane’s Sector 11, Khairne-Bonkode and Pawne villages complain that industries in the Thane-Belapur Industrial Zone directly discharge untreated effluents into a stream which flows through their areas. They say the stream, which originates from the Parsik Hills, turns into a polluted gutter after it passes through the industrial zone and flows through residential areas before emptying into the Thane creek.
Fisherfolk in Navi Mumbai claim their catch has decreased considerably, affecting their livelihood. Rajesh Bose, a fisherman from Diwale village, Belapur, says, “Fishing is our only livelihood. The toxic effluents discharged by industrial units end up in the sea, killing fish and other marine life. This has reduced the catch in our traditional fishing areas in the Thane creek. Since the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, we have been restricted from venturing into the sea near the Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, which reduces our fishing areas further. We are forced to fish in the deep waters, almost two-and-a-half hours from Colaba. We have larger boats, so we manage, but what about those with small boats? Where will they go when their fishing grounds being wiped out? With the help of Belapur MLA Manda Mhatre, we have sent seawater samples to the State pollution board. We have also written to the concerned minister, but there has been no response.”
K. Gopi, president, Small Scale Entrepreneurs Association-Trans Thane Creek (SSEA-TTC), says authorities like the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) are to blame. “We have no mai-baap. To whom are we supposed to take our problem? NMMC treats us worse than animals, even though it collects hefty taxes from us. Industries in the TTC area collectively pay more than Rs. 10,000 crore in taxes annually, but we don’t get any services. We have to approach the court for everything.”
NMMC Assistant Health Officer Dr. Ramesh Nikam told The Hindu , “Basically it is the responsibility of MPCB to take action against units discharging effluents into the nullah s. The NMMC environmental survey shows that some industries are releasing toxic chemicals into the nullah . We have informed the MPCB about this.”
Navi Mumbai corporator Munawar Patel, who claims to have raised the issue several times with NMMC and MPCB without results, plans to approach the National Green Tribunal.
The writer is a freelance journalist
