Mumbai: Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) chairman Siddhesh Kadam visited Shivaji Park on Monday and warned civic officials of action if they fail to furnish a time-bound action plan within the next 15 days to replace the red soil in the open space which has been causing dust pollution in the locality.
Nine months after the board had first instructed the BMC to change the soil, Kadam visited the park upon the request of residents, including former legislator Sada Sarvankar and several prominent residents of the locality.
“I have asked civic officials there to furnish the plan in the next 15 days. After our initial visit in March last year, the officials assured us they would do so, but only completed the paperwork. Since people are now suffering badly, we will take action in our capacity if the machinery delays the work further,” Kadam told TOI.
After his first visit in March 2024, MPCB member secretary Avinash Dhakne revisited the park four months ago along with assistant commissioner Ajitkumar Ambi and his staff for a review. They had asked the BMC to immediately replace the red soil responsible for the dust pollution. Kadam said his office had powers to initiate prosecution at the level of the board, which has quasi-judicial powers too.
Shivaji Park ALM convener Prakash Belwade said, “We hope at least due to the fear of action from MPCB under Section 5, the BMC will undo the mess they have created and allow us to enjoy our constitutional right to clean air. The BMC is thinking of using a catalyst to create bonding among the particles in the soil. What we want is the removal of the red soil, which is foreign to this area. They should first remove the red soil, which is never used in the maidan, and restore the original sandy soil. Thereafter, they can find any solution or treat the soil.”
While a team from IIT Bombay, engaged by the BMC, had carried out tests on the soil, which has been troubling locals, the civic body had examined various other options. These included the use of drip irrigation sprinklers, technology used for stabilising or hardening the soil on the runways, or planting grass in various portions of the park. Residents of Shivaji Park have been protesting, seeking a solution to the pollution caused by the red soil. It is not yet known what solution has been suggested by IITB.
G-North ward Officer Ajitkumar Ambi did not respond to calls and texts from TOI seeking a comment on the issue.