Midday Impact: Mahad village gets clean water after new pipeline is installed

Local MLA Bharat Gogaonkar visits the chemical treatment plant in MahadJust two days after midday highlighted how a chemical waste pipeline was poisoning the food and water in Mahad things are finally starting to look up Not only has the water suddenly become cleaner but the local MLA visited the area yesterday to take stock of the situation Whats more the authorities are now planning to build a Rs 71crore pipeline to prevent future chemical leaksLocals said that while MLA Bharat Gogaonwale visited the CETP he did not bother to visit the villages affected by the pollutionAfter years of choking on chemicals from the leaking pipeline the villagers noticed that their water had become cleaner immediately after this paper reported on their plight Since middays report the water is suddenly cleaner and doesnt stink Why couldnt the authorities clean it earlier a villager questionedThis reporter had earlier reported how the village had fallen prey to cancer asthma paralysis and complications in pregnancy ever since the chemical pipeline began leaking The pipeline carries chemical waste from the MIDC factories and passes through 28 villages in Mahad before emptying its contents into the sea Locals complained that the pipeline bursts open several times a day at various locations exposing them to the harmful compounds inside Some also alleged that the waste was not being treated properly at the Common Effluent Treatment Plant CETPYesterday local MLA Bharat Gogaonwale Shiv Sena visited the CETP and gave it a clean chit Gogaonkar told midday After the report in this paper I visited the plant and saw that the treatment of the waste is being done properly There is a problem with the pipelines air valves which are releasing air and causing problems to the villagersHowever locals took exception to the fact that while Gogaonwale had visited the CETP he had not bothered to visit the villages that had been impacted by the pollution One of the villagers said He is our representative so he should demand an investigation instead of giving a clean chit to the treatment plant Why did he go to the CETP when he is yet to visit our villages or meet the victimsHe added The MLA should first check the situation on the ground before supporting the factories Who elected him us or the industries Either way investigations are on and the chemical analysis report will make the truth clear The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB collected samples of the chemical effluents from the pipeline and has sent it to Mumbai for analysis MH Patil senior police inspector Mahad Taluka police station said The MPCB gave us a letter stating that they have sent samples of the water to the forensic lab in Mumbai It will take around 15 days for the report to arrive If they learn that someone is at fault and then complain to us we will register a caseBlame game beginsMeanwhile SD Pathare chairman of the CETP claims the treatment plant is doing its job and it is the pipeline that is to blame for the pollution The CETP is run by a governmentprivate partnership while the pipeline is under the MIDC He claimed that since the CETP was established the Chemical Oxygen Demand COD of the effluents had dropped from 3000 COD to 250 COD In environmental chemistry the COD is an indicative measure of pollutants the lower the level the better it isThe pipeline is old and is worn out because of continuous use This results in leaks from the air valves The MIDC has even drilled into the pipe and made open vents This releases the treated water near the villagers homes They fear that this water is harmful but it has been treated properly at the CETP he saidHowever he later contradicted this and said that the treated water had indeed caused damage to the villages He claimed The pipes discharge point should be in the deep sea but instead it releases the waste close to the shore The high tide brings this water into the villages resulting in damageNew pipelineAn MIDC official told this reporter that these issues will be solved by building a new pipeline that will go deeper into the sea It was after repeated queries from midday that the authorities floated the proposal for a new pipe at a meeting with the villager last Thursday The meeting was attended by more than 50 villagers including the sarpanch of each of the villages local cops and officials from MIDC MPCB CETP and the Tehsildar and Talatis offices We have proposed building a new pipeline for Rs 71 crore But this is still on the drawing board and it will take time to implement said sources in the MIDCHe added Like the villagers we too are suffering We are just courier companies that transport the chemical waste from one point to another The pipeline is old and cant handle the load of the growing number of factories There are other issues too Today a telecom company dug up the road and the pipeline burst How can we work in such conditions We also tried to install new air valves at two problem areas in Juhi and Ghote but the villagers dont allow us to do anythingCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go