After MPCB directs BMC to control dust and air pollution, civic body set to begin grass plantation at Shivaji Park

Located in Dadar at Central Mumbai, Shivaji Park is a 28-acre open ground that is thronged by sports enthusiasts, evening and morning walkers, and tourists regularly. The park is also a preferred location for many politicians for holding their political rallies for its location being in the heart of the city.

However, the topography of this ground is in a barren condition currently, and the grass on the surface has withered away with time. As a result of this, the top soil of the ground comprises loose red soil, which gets displaced easily, leading to dust pollution in the locality. Over the past two years, local residents have raised multiple complaints with the civic authorities in connection to this red dust issue.

The greening activities will be undertaken in patches, given that the ground has to remain open for daily activities, a BMC official said. They said that the civic body is eyeing completion of the greening activities across a substantial portion of the ground before monsoon, adding that if the process bears favourable results, it will be continued. However, if it does not work, a new alternative will be chalked out.

The plantation process will only include indigenous seedlings of grasses, which will also be mentioned in the proposal submitted to the environment department, the official said.

Apart from the greening activities, the BMC will also appoint an agency, which will be accountable for maintaining the green cover of the garden for at least a year, the civic official informed. “Since grasses are being planted, it’s important to appoint a contractor who would be responsible for maintaining the space, or else there will be an overgrowth of the herbs. Also, considering the soil type is barren, one needs to maintain it regularly to ensure the surface doesn’t get withered away,” the official added.

However, BMC officials said that there is no agency or contractor responsible for the maintenance of the park at present.

The MPCB had, in the first week of January, given civic authorities a 15-day timeline to come up with a possible solution to mitigate the issue of dust pollution at the ground. Following this, a panel of experts made a site visit to the ground, and submitted a report to the pollution board as well as the civic authorities, listing out preventive measures.

Apart from announcing directives to prevent dust displacement, the state pollution board had also mooted a proposal before the BMC for setting up a mini Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at the ground, which would provide non-potable water that could be used for the maintenance works.

“There are several borewells in the ground whose water is used for sprinkling on the ground. However, now this water has started to become saline as sea water has started entering. Therefore, we have mooted the proposal of setting up a mini STP that can draw water from any nearby sewage line and use it for maintenance,” MPCB Chairperson Siddhesh Kadam had said earlier.

“At present, our focus is to increase the green cover of the ground to prevent dust displacement. Once this objective is achieved the work of creating an STP may be taken in the next step,” civic officials said.