Residents raise concerns over industrial work in premises

Senior citizens residing in Kopar Khairane's City Apartment Co-op Housing Society have been complaining about noise and air pollution caused by an industrial unit, which operates below their building. Flat owners claim that despite repeated complaints to the NMMC and the owner of the unit, there seems to be no respite.

Modern malaise: Modern Led Tec Pvt Ltd has been using the housing society's compound to carry out activities such as metal cutting and hammering, which creates noise and air pollution

According to the residents, Modern Led Tec Pvt Ltd, the unit, which operates in a shop below the building, has been using the housing society's compound for carrying out hazardous activities such as metal cutting, hammering which not only creates noise pollution but also leads to air pollution. They have been carrying out these activities since 2006 and have also encroached upon a common passageway to be used by residents.

Vijay Punjab (64), one of the residents who stays on the second floor of the building said, "I have blood pressure problem and I am diabetic which forces me to be at home. However, my health is affected as the continuous hammering increases my blood pressure."

He also added that during evenings when its closing time, the work goes on in full swing and he finds it difficult to take his afternoon naps.

Gyanchand Sharma (77), another resident from the building said, "The metal cutting activity emits harmful particles in the air. I suffer from asthma and find it very uneasy to be around." Residents are worried that if these activities continue, the damage done to their health will be irreparable.

When contacted, one of the owners of the unit, Charanjeet Singh, he said, "I am well aware of these complaints by the residents but all of them are baseless and these people can't prove anything. These are efforts by them to malign my image." u00a0