BMC forms committee to investigate source of mysterious odour

Nine teams of Mumbai Fire Brigade were sent to various locations they detected nothing suspicious

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has formed a committee to look into the complaints of mysterious gas odour emanating in several parts of the city's eastern suburbs. Following the complaints, the BMC, under additional municipal commissioner Dr Ashwini Joshi, held a meeting to discuss the matter and response. Representatives of Mumbai Police, BMC's Disaster Management Cell, Fire Brigade, Tata Power and several other gas and oil companies were present. One participant said: "No one really knows the origin of the odour. However the authorities are taking the matter seriously."

Dr Joshi, on Saturday, ordered forming of a committee comprising representatives of BMC's Disaster Management Cell, Mumbai Fire Brigade, Mumbai Police, Rashtriya Chemical Fertilizer, Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH), Mahanagar Gas Ltd, BPCL and HPCL. The committee will study the incidents and suggest standard procedure in response to possible incidents in the future. The committee will submit its report on September 26. On Thursday night (September 19), BMC's Disaster Management Cell received 34 phone calls, and Mumbai Police received 106 calls complaining of a strong odour, especially from part of Mumbai's eastern suburbs. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board officers were also clueless.

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