Mumbai: Santacruz and Juhu residents struggle to breathe; AQI at highest

The residents of Juhu and Santacruz are raising concerns over the white dust cover on roads and trees in the area due to private building demolitions and construction work around their vicinity worsening the cityrsquos already degraded air quality Residents say that they have not seen any AQI Air Quality Index meters outside of the construction zone to monitor the dust raised due to the work The residents say they understand development is necessary but should be done responsiblyIssues near JuhuResidents of the Four Bungalows area in Andheri West are expressing anger over the dust pollution caused by a recent building demolition They allege that the developer failed to follow mandatory dustcontrol protocols and have urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC to take strict action against those responsibleDebris left along the side of a road in Santacruz PICASHISH RAJEOn Wednesday a resident of Four Bungalows filmed a video of a building currently undergoing redevelopment As part of the redevelopment process the old structure has to be demolished in accordance with the protocols laid down by the authorities but dust control norms were flouted Residents allege that the contractor or developer responsible for the demolition failed to follow dust and air pollution control guidelines As a result excessive dust was generated causing inconvenience and raising health concerns for those living nearbyThe building in question is New Vikas Society on Achyutrao Patwardhan Marg which connects the Four Bungalows signal to Lokhandwala Complex A resident who did not wish to be identified said the society is currently undergoing redevelopment and that Wednesdayrsquos demolition work generated massive dust causing significant pollution in the areaLocal resident Parag Motani said ldquoOn Wednesday the demolition of a building opposite Gyan Kendra School was carried out and itrsquos clear that no dust control protocols were followed otherwise such severe pollution wouldnrsquot have occurred Mumbairsquos AQI is already in terrible shape yet developers continue demolishing structures without basic safety and pollution control measures The city is choking violations go unchecked and residents are being forced to breathe toxic air This needs urgent attention and strict action from the BMCrdquoLocals also alleged that apart from the plot being enclosed with metal tin sheets no other pollutioncontrol measures such as water sprinklers or AQI monitoring systems appeared to be in place Four Bungalows resident Sayali Kulkarni said ldquoSuch demolitions raise a critical alarm Our AQI is deteriorating fast We urge the BMC and MPCB Maharashtra Pollution Control Board to act immediately and take strict sustained measures before the situation worsens and damages public health irreparably Developers should be fined for being callous especially when there is a school right opposite which endangers childrenrsquos health and also a prominent hospitalrdquoSantacruz dust issueThe residents around the Main Avenue Road in Santacruz have been simultaneously dealing with dust from more than five constructions happening along a single road and the concreting of roads connected to Main Avenue Road being done by the BMC The locals complain of having to constantly deal with dust ldquoIt gets very difficult to breathe while driving so I avoid the roads as much as I can I have tried wearing a mask but while I wear it I feel breathless When I donrsquot I breathe in all the dust making my health worserdquo said Gaurau Aba SarputeSantacruz residents say dust has accumulated on trees in the area PICASHISH RAJEWhile those who drive in cars are somewhat safe from the direct exposure of the dust those who ride 2wheelers or autos face the brunt of it The road also has many offices in it seeing high pedestrian traffic as well A passerby who was holding a napkin against his nose and mouth to avoid ingesting the dust said ldquoIt is a daily struggle we are facingrdquo He added ldquodust covers every single surface in the area not sparing anythingrdquoWhile some construction sites have watered the area right in front of their site to prevent dust from rising not all have been following protocol The same is the issue with the roads BMC is concreting The civic body is working in parts and has left some dugup spots open resulting in dust rising as vehicles go byConstruction activity near Main Avenue Road in Santacruz is causing major air quality problems PICASHISH RAJETrees in the whole lane are seen with a thick layer of dust on every leaf ldquoI saw a worker from one of the construction sites watering the leaves of the trees around the site but that is honestly of no help I have asthma and in the last few days getting out of my house towards that area is taking a toll on my health We all understand that redevelopment and road work are necessary but it should be done reasonably without hurting those who are aroundrdquo said Shaunak Modi a resident of the areaSudheer Shah a watchman in one of the buildings on Linking Road said ldquoI have been seeing the dust daily after the rains stopped It is a terrible thing because we canrsquot stop breathing but breathing that in is harmful All surfaces outside and inside peoplersquos houses here are covered in layers of dust due to the work being donerdquoResidents of the Four Bungalows area in Andheri West allege that only metal sheets are place around the site sprinkling and other necessary precautions being ignored PICSBY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTWhen midday contacted BMCrsquos H West ward to enquire if any initiative would be undertaken to curb the issue in Santacruz an official replied saying ldquoThree notices have been issued for violations of air pollution mitigation guidelines at Main Avenue Road in Santacruz by the H West wardrsquos Building amp Factories DepartmentrdquoBMC guidelines for constructiongtgt High barricades around site green cloth or tarpaulin coveringsgtgt Water sprinklersfogging to suppress dustgtgt Sensorbased AQI sensorsgtgt Debris to be sprinkled with water