A senior MPCB officer told mid-day that officials inspected the site, found pollution violations, and sent a proposal for action to higher authorities
The area outside the ready-mix concrete plant in Kurla. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) will issue a notice to the ready-mix concrete (RMC) plant blamed for causing dust and air pollution near a residential area in Kurla. A senior MPCB officer told mid-day that officials inspected the site, found pollution violations, and sent a proposal for action to higher authorities.
The official said, “The company operating the RMC plant informed us that the dust pollution reported last week was caused by a leakage of cement from the bulker feeding pipe connected to silos. They stated that the incident was accidental and that immediate measures were taken to stop the leakage, including replacing the feeding pipe. Our team has visited the site, and action will be taken as per the law. A report is being prepared and will be forwarded to senior officials for further action.”
Sources said the company operating the plant had assured the MPCB that it was taking all the necessary precautions and complying with MPCB guidelines. On Monday, mid-day highlighted concerns raised by Mumbai-based activist Godfrey Pimenta, who had approached the MPCB, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), among other authorities, alleging that the RMC plant near a residential area in Kurla was generating excessive dust and air pollution based on a video received from a resident from Sunderbaug Lane, Kamani, Kurla, last week.
Residents react
Kurla local, Sanjay Tiwari, said, “It is good that the MPCB has initiated action, but this alone is not sufficient. The bigger question is: how was an RMC plant granted permission to operate close to a densely populated residential area despite repeated violations of environmental guidelines and pollution control norms? Such lapses endanger public health and raise serious concerns about oversight, accountability, and the enforcement of regulations by the authorities concerned.”
Action awaited
Though the MPCB has acted against the RMC plant in Kurla, action is awaited in a similar case involving similar units being set up near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
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