Tanker caught dumping hazardous chemicals into drain
At around 1am on August 12, officials spotted a suspicious tanker parked near the Mukund Company gate opposite Digha railway station. Upon inspection, MPCB officers detected a strong odour, and litmus paper testing confirmed the substance was harmful
Navi Mumbai: In a late-night operation at 1am on Tuesday, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) seized a chemical tanker found dumping hazardous chemicals into a drainage channel in Digha. The NMMC was responding to repeated complaints from residents of a strong foul odor in the area.
According to a press release by the NMMC, for the past 15 days, residents of Green World CHS, Neva Bhakti Park, and New Garden CHS in Airoli, Navi Mumbai had been complaining of a strong and allegedly hazardous chemical odour. The stench had reportedly caused eye irritation and breathing difficulties, particularly affecting children and senior citizens, said an official from the NMMC.
Housing societies had filed complaints with the NMMC H ward office, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), as well as the MIDC Rabale Police Station.
A resident of Airoli and a member of the night vigil, Nikhil Bankhele, 49, said, “Breathing had become difficult.” He added that the residents had complained about the issue at the municipal corporation and the police station regularly for the past two weeks. “Last night, at around 1.30am, tankers were caught while discharging the waste into the channel,” said Bankhele.
As per the NMMC, the issue was first reported on August 7, when locals complained of a pungent chemical smell. They suspected that hazardous chemicals were being released into drains or the surrounding area. However, Bankhele said the matter had been going on for months. “During the recently held Narali Poornima festival, the local fisherman told officials they did not want to enter the brackish water,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}As per the NMMC, the issue was first reported on August 7, when locals complained of a pungent chemical smell. They suspected that hazardous chemicals were being released into drains or the surrounding area. However, Bankhele said the matter had been going on for months. “During the recently held Narali Poornima festival, the local fisherman told officials they did not want to enter the brackish water,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Despite inspections, the stench persisted, prompting NMMC’s environment department officials, Digha ward staff, and MPCB officers to conduct joint night patrols. Based on resident’s complaints, they began surveying a drain near Neva Garden Society in Airoli.
{{/usCountry}}Despite inspections, the stench persisted, prompting NMMC’s environment department officials, Digha ward staff, and MPCB officers to conduct joint night patrols. Based on resident’s complaints, they began surveying a drain near Neva Garden Society in Airoli.
{{/usCountry}}At around 1am on August 12, officials spotted a suspicious tanker parked near the Mukund Company gate opposite Digha railway station. Upon inspection, MPCB officers detected a strong odour, and litmus paper testing confirmed the substance was harmful. Samples from the tanker have been sent to MPCB and NMMC laboratories for analysis, and a case has been registered with the Rabale police.
{{/usCountry}}At around 1am on August 12, officials spotted a suspicious tanker parked near the Mukund Company gate opposite Digha railway station. Upon inspection, MPCB officers detected a strong odour, and litmus paper testing confirmed the substance was harmful. Samples from the tanker have been sent to MPCB and NMMC laboratories for analysis, and a case has been registered with the Rabale police.
{{/usCountry}}A member of the Green World CHS, DL Bhadavankar, said that many residents of the nearby housing societies were present at the spot till almost 3am on Tuesday. “Tankers were caught red-handed illegally discharging approximately 12,000 litres of chemical waste into the drainage. We are hoping that the NMMC’s actions will bring relief from the chemical odour and restore a basic human right–the ability to breathe freely,” said Bhadavankar.
