Thane: Officials stay silent as waste fires rage in protected green zones

A monkey walks past the burning garbage on May 14

Even after a complaint was made to the authorities, the illegal burning of garbage near Gaimukh, close to Ghodbunder Road, within the jurisdiction of the Thane Municipal Corporation, has allegedly not been stopped. Environmentalist Stalin D has alleged that no action has been taken even after more than a week has passed.

Stalin D has once again sent a letter to the concerned authorities, including the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) commissioner, principal secretary of the environment department, principal secretary of the Urban Development Department-2, Thane collector, Thane Forest Department (Territorial), and other officials.

"This is our second complaint on this issue. No action has been taken even after more than a week has passed. What is the reason for so much insensitivity towards the horrendous air pollution that has been continuing here for so long? More than 2000 truckloads of garbage are being burnt and disposed of at the site. The threat to the nearby forests, the mangroves on which the garbage is dumped and burnt, the pollution of the Vasai creek, the impact on marine biodiversity, the impact on wildlife - all seem to be lost on your offices," stated Stalin D in his complaint.

Before and after Google earth images of Gaikmukh on March 2024 and March 2025 showing the illegal dumping of garbage in the protected zone

He also attached a picture with GPS coordinates showing a monkey near the garbage mound. Sources from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) told this newspaper that the area is outside their limits.

"This is a fit case for prosecution of the chief engineer of the Solid Waste Management Department of TMC. The acts are punishable under the municipal solid waste handling rules, the CRZ Notification, the Forest Conservation Act, the Wildlife Protection Act, and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, to name a few. Your prolonged inaction is not helping. This site needs an emergency rescue and restoration plan. Accountability must be fixed. The cost must be borne by the Thane Municipal Corporation. This is as brazen and irresponsible an act as it can get on the part of the municipal corporation. The site, if not inside the national park, is surely within the eco-sensitive zone of the park, and this activity is certainly not permitted," said Stalin D.

The environmentalist has also appealed to TMC authorities to take note of the issue and to initiate visible, credible, and legal steps to restore the site and prevent further degradation within a week.

"If no action is taken, we will be forced to move the courts for environmental justice. The monsoon will wash all the leachate and garbage into the Vasai creek," added Stalin.