MPCB to HC: City rivers polluted due to BMC apathy, citizens culpable also
Mumbai recently woke up to an unusual view — the otherwise "clean" areas of the metropolis were seen littered with tonnes of garbage. The Queen's Necklace, Marine Drive, was besmirched with sewage — nearly 9,000 tonnes. The famous promenade was encrusted with dirt; not even the cars parked nearby were spared from the Arabian Sea's "return gift" to citizens. Photographs that went viral on social media showed civic workers struggling to clear the waste, having to wade through it to tackle it.
The issue soon became the point of discussion on social media, with citizens and activists all pointing fingers at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for failing to do its "duty." This contention was affirmed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB).
The MPCB has blamed the BMC for failing to update its Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) system across the city. In its affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court, the MPCB has said the BMC has failed to provide and update STPs in the city. "We had issued a letter to the BMC regarding inadequate sewerage treatment facilities and noncompliance to the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974. The BMC has however not taken effective steps to comply with the provisions of this Act," the affidavit states.
The affidavit was filed in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting the pollution of coastal waters in the city. The PIL filed by NGO Citizen Circle for Social Welfare and Education also blames the BMC for not taking steps to reduce pollution of rivers in the city. Filed through advocate Shehzad Naqvi, the PIL seeks directions to the BMC to dispose sewage in the sea, at a certain distance from the city's coastline. The NGO claims the civic body has not been doing this till date.
The BMC, on the other hand, has enjoyed the benefit of "five years time" granted to the civic body by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to hide its failures.
A senior official, who did not wished to be named, said, "Firstly, the MPCB has granted us time till March 2019 to operate on these rivers. Secondly, the CPCB has already given us five years' time to upgrade the existing STPs. So we have time till then to work on this issue."
According to the MPCB, it had asked the BMC to provide a better garbage collection system, especially in slums. This, the board claimed, would act as a long-term measure to curb river pollution. "However, no proper garbage collection system has been provided by the BMC, as recommended earlier," the affidavit reads.
Interestingly, it is not the BMC alone, which is responsible for the pollution of rivers. The MPCB has also blamed the citizens for "majorly" contributing to the pollution of rivers across Mumbai.
The affidavit claims, "The substantial source of pollution of the rivers, accounting for about 93 per cent is the discharge of domestic waste by the general public, directly into the nullahs or sea. The major source of pollution of the rivers is sewage from slums and 'tabelas' and also the plastic and municipal solid waste, discharged in the sea."
The board accordingly suggests enhancing and upgrading the sewer lines to control the pollution caused by direct discharge of untreated sewage in the creeks/sea.
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), in its affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court, has blamed the BMC for failing to update its Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) system across the city. the MPCB has said the BMC has failed to provide and update STPs in the city. The MPCB has also blamed the citizens for "majorly" contributing to the pollution of rivers across Mumbai.