Let’s make it our endeavour to protect city’s water bodies

While it is understandable that police cannot patrol every inch of the city, special attention must be paid to water body banks. These do become rubbish sites but then the effluents pollute the river, causing huge health hazards

The National Green Tribunal has ordered the BMC to clear a construction waste dumpsite on the banks of the Mithi River in Mumbai within two weeks. The dumpsite contains four lakh metric tonnes of waste and is leaching pollutants into the river. The BMC has requested an additional four weeks to comply with the order.

The site is near Tapeshwar Mandir, adjacent to Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR). The dump has also grown to 850 metres long and 80 metres wide. The NGT’s direction came in response to a petition by city-based NGO, Vanashakti, which While an additional four weeks has been asked for, we want quick action so that adverse environmental effects which have large scale ramifications like impacting the water, local health and overall ecological damages, are mitigated. 

It is shocking that such a huge dump has been allowed to come up at the site. With all the utterances of cleaning Mithi River, in fact we hear this refrain every monsoon, how can such a mound of debris exist on its banks?

While it is understandable that police cannot patrol every inch of the city, special attention must be paid to water body banks. These do become rubbish sites but then the effluents pollute the river, causing huge health hazards.

Adequate lighting, signage and warning of punitive action including stiff fines at the site will act as some deterrent. CCTV surveillance is another necessity. While daily patrols may be impossible, weekly or three-day inspections will help. These can stop the problem from festering and the debris dump from growing.

Locals must be educated on the health hazards this extensive ecological damage this will have on their health. It is ironical and hugely unfortunate that in these days of climate consciousness, beach clean-ups and accent on green living, we have areas that need constant vigilance.

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