BMC intensifies action against Kalbadevi jewellery making units over toxic chimneys Security stepped up outside Amazon, Saif Ali Khan's office
Residents want civic body to further speed-up operations
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) intensifies action against gold jewellery making units in Kalbadevi for erecting illegal chimneys that have been spewing toxic gases. However, local residents, fighting against the toxic illegal chimneys for the past 19 years have claimed the BMC was acting slowly, contrary to its claims. Starting this month the civic body has already demolished and removed more than 40 illegal (PVC and metal) chimneys from these units civic officials said. According to officials more than 700 chimneys have been demolished/removed in the past three years. According to officials, there are around 2,032 jewellery making units until 2018-2019, however, sources claim that there are more than 15,000 such units which are operating from 80-100 square feet houses in small chawls. A majority of the artisans hail from West Bengal, followed by Maharashtrians, north Indians, and Gujaratis. To make a gold ornament it has to go through various stages like dyeing, soldering, polishing and others and each unit does one specific task.
Harikishan Garodia, a local resident who has been at the forefront of the fight and an active member of the Bhuleshwar resident association, said though BMC is demolishing chimneys, the gold manufacturing unit owners install a new chimney the very next day. However, Assistant Municipal Corporation of C ward (Kalbadevi, Chirabazar, etc) Chakrapani Alle said that repeated action would be taken against these units.
However residents claim that removing the chimney is an eyewash, BMC needs to act fast. "More concrete action than removing chimneys should be taken against these units. BMC's first move should be to book the landlord /owner of the land. There is an urgent need to shift these units to non-residential areas," said Garodia.
Mumbai Police have stepped up the security and vigilance outside Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan's Bandra office and Amazon India's head office amid mounting controversy in connection to the political drama web series, 'Tandav' starring the actor which was recently released on Amazon Prime. The show and its makers, streaming platform have been at the receiving end of flak for allegedly depicting Hindu gods in a manner hurtful to religious sentiments of people. Manjunath Singe, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 8), said BJP leader Ram Kadam had taken out a morcha on Monday at the Amazon head office in BKC due to which cops have tightened the security outside the office.