Chasing an elusive Quarry

While the other two buildings in the premises are better off, it is not as if they are unaffected. Mary George, a resident of A Wing Giridarshan, says that a lot of dust is released by quarrying. so much so that dust lines the floors and windows within seconds. 8220;Besides, there is this tremor each time there is a blast in the neighbouring quarries,8221; she says.

For the slumdwellers on the hills, the situation is even worse. 8220;Every time there is a blast there, the vessels on the shelves of their hutments come tumbling down,8221; says one of the slumdwellers.

Most residents add that quarrying has been going on for as long as they can remember. Environmentalist Debi Goenka, who is also a resident of the area, says that it has been going on for the past 10 to 15 years.

The quarrying is carried out in violation of the guidelines issued by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority MMRDA, claims Environmental Medical Association of India chairmanand president of Powai Residents8217; Forum A N Ranu. These guidelines are included in a Draft Regional Plan for Mumbai Metropolitan Region 1996-2011, prepared by the MMRDA. Under this, 8220;no blasting shall be permitted if a public road, railway line or any human settlement is present within 500 metres of the quarrying site.8221; The residential areas fall within these specified limits, Debi Goenka further informs.

The quarrying has also affected the Powai Lake, with the particles generated by it settling in the lake bed, reducing its depth. Over the years, the depth has decreased from 10 metres to 3-5 metres, say environmentalists.

The lake, which is Powai8217;s heritage8217;, is a man-made one and was constructed in 1890 to counter a famine threat. 8220;Now, it is dying, it8217;s very polluted,8221; says Ranu. Sewage from the residential areas are released into the lake, without any treatment whatsoever. Several studies, carried out by IIT professors and even the air quality monitoring wing of the Brihanmumbai MunicipalCorporation BMC, found that the water contained high levels of chromium, lead and mercury.

According to Ranu, complaints about the poor maintenance of the lake to the BMC has not had any effect so far. The official explanation is that the lake does not require much maintenance as the water cannot be consumed for drinking in any case, he says. This is despite the fact that the BMC earns around Rs 25 lakh per year by selling water from the lake, Ranu adds.

However, T R Rane, deputy hydraulic engineer, BMC, says that the corporation is taking all steps to protect the lake. 8220;We are removing the encroachments, authorities visit the lake regularly and find out if there are any problems,8221; he says. Besides, the department is planning to move a proposal to clean up the lake soon, he says. A contract to clear up the garbage in the lake will be given to outside parties, Rane informed.

The environment association, on the other hand, had approached the Union Environment Ministry, and the ministry agreed lastyear to include the lake under the National Lake Conservation Programme. However, it has been included under Phase II of the programme, which means that work will start only after another two years.

An easy solution would be to put up a barbed wire fence around the lake, so that encroachers and other miscreants can be kept out. Again, sewage should not be released into the lake, suggests the Powai Residents8217; Forum. Instead, it can be diverted via the Powai sewage pumping station to the Effluent Treatment Plant at Bhandup, and released into the Thane Creek.

To protest against this, Maharashtra Angling Club, Lion8217;s Club and Rotary Club organised an agitation at the Ganapati Visarjan spot of Powai lake yesterday. Meanwhile, G R Merani, Ward Officer of the area S Ward, refused to comment on any of these issues, saying that he was 8220;not supposed to do so.quot;