The Maharashtra Pollution Control
Board (MPCB) has accepted that illegal discharge of effluents by industrial units
& absence of proper vigilance, which allowed violations to continue, are
the main reasons behind the high pollution levels at the Ulhas & Waldhuni
rivers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
A Senior MPCB official said that
“There are two specific issues: first, industries may have permission to
discharge effluents, but are carrying out illegal activities [discharging
effluents without treating them or beyond permissible limits]. The second issue
is units are functioning illegally without any consent".
The admission comes after the Top
Court earlier this week highlighted the failure of state bodies to discharge
their duties in improving the water quality of the rivers, despite repeated
orders by the Supreme Court.
“The material which has been produced
on record demonstrates that the situation warrants urgent & immediate
remedial steps. There has been a failure of statutory bodies to discharge their
responsibilities under the law,” read the SC order published on Thursday.
MPCB said it was formulating an
action plan to address the issue. MPCB chairman Sudhir Srivastava said the
pollution control body will increase vigilance. “Apart from sewage coming from
towns such as Ulhasnagar, Badlapur, Kalyan etc, the main problem is the illegal
activities being conducted by industries. This [pollution] is happening more at
Waldhuni, which later meets Ulhas. Given the challenges pertaining to the
illegal disposal of waste [into the rivers], we will increase vigilance,
manpower & monitoring across the entire length of the two rivers. We are
also following up with urban local bodies to ensure that their respective
sewage treatment programmes are implemented swiftly,” he said.
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The Supreme Court bench of
Justice DY Chandrachud & Justice KM Joseph on Sept 7 heard an interim
application filed by environment group Vanashakti, alleging industries had
dumped untreated effluents at several sections of the two rivers. While the
Ulhas river turned turquoise (see image) & witnessed foam, between May
& June water in Waldhuni turned deep red in some parts of MMR. Despite
repeated complaints, there was no action on ground regarding their grievances,
Vanashakti alleged.
SC directed Central Pollution
Control Board (CPCB) & National Environmental Engineering Research
Institute (NEERI) to file a report within three weeks (from September 7) after
inspecting both the rivers to identify the units which are causing pollution
& then formulate recommendations & steps that need to be taken by the
municipal corporations concerned (which will include Ulhasnagar, Kalyan
Dombivli, Kulgaon Badlapur & Ambernath), regulatory bodies & units to
remedy the situation.
The fact that MPCB has been kept out of the investigation was a clear indictment of its failure to do its duties honestly, said applicant Stalin D, director of Vanashakti.
“MPCB has consistently failed to
take credible action against polluting industries & has always offered a
cover up,” he said.
Ulhas & Waldhuni are among 53
of the most polluted rivers from Maharashtra – the highest for any state among
the 351 most polluted rivers in India – according to the CPCB.
The 122-km Ulhas River supplies
drinking water to more than 30 lakh residents along the Badlapur-Thane belt.
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The Apex Court is hearing the issue
since 2017 & several orders were passed over the past three years directing
the state to improve water quality. The SC bench on Sept 7 directed the
Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to file a compliance
report for previous orders within 2 weeks.
The Order said that “The court will
also review whether compliance has been made of the time-lines set out in the
previous order for the completion & commissioning of projects (by the next
date of hearing on Oct 7)".
Zaman Ali, the lawyer for Vanashakti, said a massive increase in industrial pollution in Ulhas river soon after the lockdown forced them to move the Supreme Court.
Ali said that “Such high pollution
levels, even when the matter is being monitored by the SC, shows that MPCB has
remained incompetent to address this issue & that is why CPCB has been
directed to take over the functions".
SL Waghmare, MPCB regional officer
(Kalyan), said the local common effluent treatment plant (CETP) responsible for
violating water quality norms during the lockdown was fined ₹5 lakh.
He said that “We also shut down one unit which was using chemical dyes. The investigation into the other violators is under way".
According to Stalin, industries
under MIDC continue to operate without a CETP.
He said, “Instead of acting on
violations, the MPCB tripled the consent capacities of the polluters. We are
hopeful that the judiciary will ensure that the guilty officials are brought to
justice".
According to MIDC, there are 1,160 industries across Badlapur, Ambernath & Dombivli, of which 631 were classified as ‘polluting industries’. These discharge 25.7 million litres of effluents to five CETPs for treatment each day. In addition to it, untreated sewage is discharged from areas under municipal limits to the rivers.
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Kalidas Bandekar, superintendent
engineer (MMR), MIDC said that “The construction of a 7.7-km disposal line
connecting effluent discharge from CETPs emptying into a creek away from both
rivers is underway. This will reduce the pollutant load significantly & it
will be completed by February 2022".
‘Samples from drinking water zone
found unfit for consumption’
A water quality report from 2019,
based on samples collected from the drinking water zone of both the rivers
showed that the water was highly acidic. The water was collected by members of
the Ulhasnagar & Ambernath Citizens Forum & sent for testing to a private
lab.
Satyajit Burman, member of the
forum said that “Drinking water was found not fit for consumption. Despite
repeated interventions of the SC, numerous complaints to the CPCB & faulty
investigations by local MPCB officials, the environmental quality of this entire
region continues to deteriorate each day, with only industrial bodies
profiting, even as the health of residents worsen".
Srivastava said MPCB shut down more
than 500 illegal jeans washing units & also directed the closure of several
textile units using chemical dyes near both rivers.
He said that “Violations have been
booked but owing to fewer officials, cases have not been completely pursued
& arrests haven’t taken place. With the execution of our latest plans, we
will ensure that there is no illegal dumping of waste or effluents. In case of
such activities, we will ensure strict action against violators to guarantee
deterrence".
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