Ambernath gas leak: ‘It reminds me of the Bhopal Gas tragedy’; watch video

For 11yearold Satyam Yadav pollution is an inescapable part of daily life ldquoWe constantly suffer from coughs throat pain and eye irritation because of the air pollution even inside our homesrdquo he tells midday Yadav lives in Phanshipada a small community caught between the industrial activities of the Ambernathrsquos Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation MIDC on one side and the polluted Waldhuni River on the otherThe Waldhuni River which flows near their village tells its tale of environmental degradation Walking along its banks one is overwhelmed by the foul stench and visible pollution Credits iamATULKAMBLEAmbernath WaldhuniRiver PollutionAlert EnvironmentalCrisishellip httpstcoz4ns5XKyWw pictwittercomzOvNbu8OHlmdash Mid Day mid_day September 22 2024The region spanning Ambernath Kalyan Dombivli and Badlapur is surrounded by three MIDCs within a radius of 7 to 17 kilometers and dotted with operational stone quarries This MMR belt faces a growing environmental crisis where unchecked industrialisation has left a trail of pollution impacting both air and water quality Residents of these areas are grappling with severe health issues from respiratory problems to waterborne illnesses all linked to the toxic surroundingsIn Phanshipada students like Yadav and his classmates at a local school share how they cope with the pollution ldquoWhen the stench is unbearable we shut the windowsrdquo said one student Another student mentioned what their teacher advised them ldquoWhen the pollution gets too much wersquore told to find a big tree and sit under itrdquoAmbernath Kalyan Dombivli and Badlapur region surrounded by three MIDCs and operational stone quarries is experiencing severe environmentaldegradation due to unchecked industrialization Residents are facing significant health issues including respiratory problemshellip httpstcoz4ns5XKyWw pictwittercomkoxYgntu14mdash Mid Day mid_day September 22 2024The Waldhuni River which flows near their village tells its own tale of environmental degradation Walking along its banks one is overwhelmed by the foul stench and visible pollution Similar conditions can be found in the neighboring Adivasi villages around Ambarnath MIDC such as Bohonoli and Bohonoli Dhangarpada where indigenous communities face the brunt of industrial pollutionThe Waldhuni river now looks like a nullah PICSATUL KAMBLEHarishchandra Ughade a 39yearold resident of Bohonoli reflects on the changes he has witnessed ldquoThis is our native land I was born here in 1985 and grew up in this village Before 20052006 life was peaceful Then industries began to grow around us Yes we got roads and street lights but the price we paid was too high Now we breathe hazardous gases and the rivers are polluted We donrsquot even have a water connection and rely on borewells for drinking waterrdquo Ughade saysHis neighbor Somnath Ughade 80 added ldquoWe suffer from coughs and throat pain because of these companies releasing gases at least once a weekrdquo Dashrath Nirgude 55 another Bohonoli resident expressed frustration ldquoNobody comes here to see how we live We are illiterate and have nowhere to turn but the gram panchayat During elections politicians visit but once they get our votes we are forgottenrdquoHowever Buddhaji Chidye 55 from neighboring Bohonoli Dhangarwadi offers a different perspective ldquoWe do get temporary jobs from these companies so we canrsquot completely blame them When we complain about the gases they stop for a while Even with the pollution life is still better than when we used to collect wood from the forestrdquoThis stark contrast of perspectives underscores the complexity of the issuemdashwhere economic benefits are weighed against environmental and health costs The people of these villages struggling under the impact of pollution feel abandoned their plight unnoticed except during election season While industrialisation has brought development to the region it has come at a steep cost to the health and wellbeing of its residentsDuring a visit to the Nisarg Greens complex in Ambernath midday encountered residents grappling with a bitter irony ldquoIsnrsquot it ironic that the residential complex we live in iscalled Nisarg Nature Greens yet we are constantly fighting pollution to save this lsquonisargrsquordquo said Yuvraj Khachne a former BMC employee and longtime residentKhachne who has lived in Ambernath for nearly four decades and moved to Nisarg Greens six years agoshared his frustrations ldquoThe suffocation here is noticeable Many senior citizens often complain about it Even when we sit in the complex gardens in the evening wersquore overwhelmed by a terrible odour like rotten eggsrdquo he explainedBuddhaji Chidye and Dashrath NirgudeVishal Gaikwad a resident and real estate professional voiced his concerns about the persistent pollution ldquoItrsquos baffling to see smoke still coming from companies that the MPCB supposedly shut down What are the MPCB officials doing It reminds me of the Bhopal Gas tragedymdashwhat if these companies continue operating uncheckedrdquo he asked Gaikwad also highlighted that despite numerous complaints neither the local MLA Balaji Kinikarmdashwho himself resides in Nisarg Greensmdashnor the MPCB have taken any meaningful action to tackle the issue ldquoFire outbreaks and gas leaks have become alarmingly frequentrdquo he addedJust last week residents reported a gas leak from a company in the Ambernath MIDC On Thursday residents of Morivali near Ambernath MIDC and commuters experienced eye and throat irritation as chemical fumes engulfed much of the cityThis coupled with the memory of a boiler blast at the Dombivli MIDC earlier this year has left locals feeling as if theyrsquore living on the edge ldquoThe constant incidents of gas leaks and fires at nearby industrial units have made us feel unsafe in our own homesrdquo Gaikwad remarked reflecting the growing sense of anxiety among residents as air quality continues to worsenVedant Mhatre a resident of Dombivli shared his concerns about living near the Dombivli MIDC He addressed a common misconception that the industrial area existed before the surrounding residential neighborhoods placing local populations at riskldquoMany believe the Dombivli MIDC came first with residential areas developing around it But if you examine historic satellite imagery from as far back as 1984 on Google Earth yoursquoll see dense residential settlements already existing up to Shivaji Udyog Nagar By 1981 the population here was likely around 100000 or morerdquo Mhatre explainedHe pointed out that despite this established population the MIDC allowed industries to set up within close proximity ldquoSurprisingly the MIDC created its only residential zone in Maharashtra right between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the industrial areardquoVedant and his father actually witnessed the horrific boiler blast at the Dombivli MIDC on May 23 2024 that resulted in the death of 11 individuals and left over 40 others injured Their residence is just 500600 metres from the site he said ldquoThere was a similar kind of blast in 2016 at Shivaji Udyog Nagar which too had over 25 deathsBoth residents and social organisations point an accusing finger at MPCB which they say is solely responsible for the high pollution levels Environmental activist Nandkumar Pawar highlighted the major sources of air pollution in the DombivliAmbernath region with the Dombivli MIDC being a significant contributor ldquoNearly 500 industries including chemical jute engineering and pharmaceutical companies are operating here often in violation of safety norms Many of these industries release hazardous chemical gases especially during nightrdquo Pawar explainedPawar also emphasised that stone quarries and crushers operating in remote areas contribute to high pollution in the region ldquoThese quarries which have been active since 2007 create significant health hazards for the local Adivasi communities and cause environmental degradationrdquo he saysSnehal Donde a renowned environmentalist recognised as a ldquoJalnayakrdquo Water Warrior by the Water Resource Department of Maharashtra expressed deep concern over the pollution of the Ulhas River and its tributaries She stated ldquoAll the MIDCs around the Ulhas River including its tributaries like the Waldhuni River discharge untreated chemical effluents directly into the water The CETPs Common Effluent Treatment Plants are nonfunctional and even the STPs Sewage Treatment Plants set up in the area are not operationalrdquoDonde also highlights the severe pollution in the Waldhuni River which flows from Ambernath into the Ulhas River ldquoThe water in the Waldhuni is black and foulsmelling due to the untreated chemical effluents being released Badlapur MIDC is also guilty of discharging pollutants into the Ulhas Riverrdquo she explains Donde also raised concerns about the governmentrsquos plan to divert the Ulhas River into the Godavari to supply water to the Marathwada region ldquoIsnrsquot the government diverting polluted water This plan if implemented could have devastating consequencesrdquo she warnedThe 1200acre Ambernath Additional MIDC was established in 1995 to relocate garment and tannery industries from areas like Dharavi Mumbai Thane and Ulhasnagar However due to the refusal of tanneries to move and limited participation from garment units the MIDC shifted its focus in 2002 allotting the area to other industries such as chemicals engineering pharmaceuticals and textiles By 2008 the industrial hub had expanded to accommodate 900 unitsUmesh Tayade Chairman of the Additional Ambernath Manufacturers Association AAMA shared insights on the industrial perspective ldquoThe CETP is currently operational managed by a thirdparty appointed by MIDCHowever in 2016 the CETP was temporarily shut down and we fear a similar situation could occur again which would leave us with zero discharge capabilities This is why we are pushing for dual consentrdquo he saysHe also addressed the issue of nearby villages and housing complexes ldquoMany housing societies and complexes have sprung up around the MIDC some even within its boundaries in clear violation of the Maharashtra Fire Safety Act and regulations These complexes lack their own STPs Sewage Treatment Plants and ETPs Effluent Treatment Plants and have been discharging untreated sewage directly into the Waldhuni River Yet the blame is often placed on the MIDC and its industries The MPCB is aware of this and has taken action a few times but we hope this issue receives more attentionrdquo Tayade addedHe further highlighted that several denim and jeans fabric washing and dyeing units which were shut down in the Ambernath MIDC have since relocated to remote areas ldquoThese units continue to discharge effluents into the river and unfortunately it goes uncheckedrdquoWe tried to get in touch with the MPCB and the MIDC but didnrsquot get any response till the time of going to print