Talk of health futile when govt can't maintain a dump

Residents have been dealing with the stench from the Kanjurmarg dumping ground for years

It is every breath you take, for residents of eastern suburbs, who have been complaining of foul stench from the Kanjurmarg dump yard. A report in this paper detailed how residents have been unable to sleep because of the overpowering odour. An environmental non-profit has got into the matter talking about how the dump was a huge health hazard and problems are being compounded as the days pass and monsoon has hit the city.

In fact, the odour has been stronger because of the monsoon season. Activists have asked local authorities to visit the dump and see first hand all the problems it is creating for locals closest to its periphery.

It would do little harm in investigating whether complaints have merit. Since residents claim they have been writing letters to authorities apprising them about the problem, it is up to authorities to respond by at least starting to look at the site, visiting it, gauging the extent of the problem, and then deciding how to tackle it.

It is important that the first step is taken, which is an acknowledgement of the complaint at the very least.

Monsoon will bring with it, a host of health problems like every season does and suffering locals should not have to bear with this too.

It is also vital that many experts have suggested that people keep their windows open as far as possible, to enable natural light and air circulation, for it is beneficial in these times of the pandemic. The smell then, will not allow people to follow these guidelines. Instead, they have to spend a majority of their time in closed rooms, spraying air freshener and burning incense sticks to dissipate the bad smells.

Let us see movement on this dump and a solution. Touting health is useless when we cannot clean up our own backyard.