Chandivali residents take up pollution issue to social media as govt apathetic

The residents of Chandivali an upscale residential neighbourhood in central Mumbai have started a social media campaign against the air pollution problems in the area as the concerned authorities have failed to address the issueldquoCement plant works underconstruction buildings and roads are the major reasons behind the deteriorating air pollution levels in the areardquo Mandeep Singh Makkar founder of Chandivli Citizens Welfare Association CCWA saidHe said the residents on many occasions have taken up the issue with the concerned authorities but the meetings have not yielded any resultsOn February 1 the residents led by a senior citizen Arun Srivastava held a meeting with Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB and submitted a letter detailing about the presence of heavy smoke emitting from chimneys located on Khairani RoadldquoIn the letter we requested the MPCB authorities to look into the matter and suggested that BMC Fire Services department and police should inspect the units We also asked them to install an AQI monitoring device to closely monitor the pollution levelsrdquo said Srivastava who is a resident of Nahar Amrit ShaktiAlso readMumbai weather update With temperatures above 37 degrees C IMD issues heatwave alert for next two daysSrivastava who is suffering from respiratory ailments said that several residents of the area have been complaining of throat infections dust allergies and breathing problems He said the dangerous smoke levels have further increased in the last few months since a few furnace units driven out from Wadala and Govandi areas have shifted hereldquoBesides sending emails to authorities I have personally visited the offices of BMC and MPCB and met the officials to apprise them about the issues However these meetings have not yielded the any resultsrdquo he saidThe residents rued that the increase in pollution levels and the failure of the authorities to address the same have caused severe health issuesPrashant Koitan a local resident who is suffering from sinusitis said ldquoWe have to keep our windows and doors shut as there is always a thick layer of smoke outside Sometimes the operations at the RMC plant go on even during late night hours further complicating the issuerdquoMidday reached out to Vidyanand Motghare Joint Director Air MPCB but he was unavailable for commentAnother resident of Chandivali and member of CCWA Lavita Powell who has been campaigning against the residentsrsquo issues for over a decade said that they earlier kept a track of air quality levels in the area in order to report to the authoritiesIn 2017 a few residents of the area did a housetohouse survey to check if there was any impact of pollution in the area The survey revealed that many local residents were suffering from itchy eyes cough throat infection and other upper respiratory ailments The residents in a letter submitted the revelations to the pollution board and BMC authoritiesAn aggrieved Powell said that since the administrative officers change from time to time they have to keep raising the issue She said the authorities need to conduct a study measure the pollution levels and address the issue