Vikhroli residents oppose BMC’s Supreme Court move on mangrove restoration at Kanjurmarg dumping ground

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC has come under fire for deciding to move the Supreme Court against a recent Bombay High Court HC order directing that a portion of the Kanjurmarg dumping ground be restored to a mangrove forest within three months Over 14000 Vikhroli residents have signed a letter demanding that the BMC follow the HCrsquos directiveSeveral doctors from Vikhroli have written letters to the civic body requesting it to follow the high courtrsquos directions at the earliest and a protest was staged by residents at Vikhroli railway station on ThursdayAn exterior view of the dumping ground in Kanjurmarg East According to civic officials there are approximately 20 lakh tonnes of garbage at the site PicDweep BaneWhat are doctors sayingDoctors have observed that in the past 10 to 12 years the number of patients residing near the dumping ground complaining about respiratory problems has increased massively ldquoPatients complaining of constant nausea and breathlessness is an everyday scenario at my clinic This is a result of poor air quality because of the tonnes of garbage dumped at the Kanjurmarg dump siterdquo said Dr Yogesh Bhalerao who runs an ayurvedic clinic in VikhroliFrom left Mario Rodrigues the Vikhrolikar Vikas Manch member who appealed to authorities to find a practical solution Vandana Bendre Vikhroli resident and Dr Sunny Waykode who runs a clinic in Kannamwar Nagar Vikhroli EastDr Sunny Waykode who runs a clinic in Kannamwar Nagar Vikhroli East said ldquoPatients especially children have developed numerous respiratory and skin allergies and frequently complain of cough cold and headache As many children are still at the age when their immunity is being built poor air quality is hampering their health This can result in serious respiratory problems such as bronchitis earlyage asthma and lung infections which can hamper their overall growthrdquoHe added ldquoThe air quality after 6 pm in our area deteriorates and walking on the road without a mask becomes impossible This isnrsquot just about respiratory issues but also soil and water pollution During the monsoon season mosquito breeding increases massively because of the dumping ground Hence the number of malaria and dengue cases is higher in Vikhroli compared to other areas on the central linerdquoSanjay Yelve president Vikhrolikar Vikas ManchDr Abhijit Kadam a physician and surgeon running a clinic in Vikhroli said ldquoWe have been dealing with pollution foul air and insects for over a decade now because of the dumping ground It starts with vomiting and escalates to severe skin diseases and even fibrosis and cancer Now that the high court has given a directive based on all the facts the corporation should take this matter seriouslyrdquoResidentsrsquo protestThe Vikhrolikar Vikas Manch a citizensrsquo group organised a signature campaign on May 15 from 9 am to 8 pm Approximately 14000 residents signed a letter requesting the BMC to follow the HCrsquos orders which will be presented to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani ldquoOur question to the BMC and the state government is Why are you approaching the Supreme Court instead of having a discussion with those affected and trying to solve the problem The authorities do have the right to appeal to the apex court But isnrsquot finding a solution at the ground level a more apt thing to dordquo asked Mario Rodrigues a member of Vikhrolikar Vikas ManchVikhroli Bhandup and Kanjurmarg have already been witnessing poor air quality as several projects are coming up in the eastern suburbs ldquoPollution levels have already increased over the past few years for many reasons On top of this wersquore facing problems with the dumping ground close by We are forced to keep our windows closed especially in the evening as the smell gets stronger at that time Because of this ventilation is compromisedrdquo said Vandana Bendre a resident of VikhrolildquoDisposing of garbage correctly is necessary But why canrsquot the corporation do it at a faraway place where there are no residential areas within a radius of 10 to 20 km This way no one will suffer It becomes difficult to breathe sometimes and also now that the monsoon is approaching we are attacked by mosquitoes Every year it is a given that at least one person from each building in Vikhroli will contract either malaria or denguerdquo said Sanjay Yelve president Vikhrolikar Vikas ManchMay 15Day signature drive was undertakenlsquoSetting up dump site is a herculean taskrsquoKiran Dighavkar Deputy municipal commissioner solid waste managementldquoWe have filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court because it is practically impossible to transfer the existing approximately 20 lakh tonnes of garbage that have been generated over the past decade to some other location and to set up a new waste management system within three months The BMC has been processing and recycling the garbage at the current Kanjurmarg site since 2018 Mumbai generates over 6000 metric tonnes of waste per day Logistically it is a Herculean task to set up a new dumping ground and that too in a short timespanrdquoatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params