Mumbai: Deonar locals furious after delay in plan to move hazardous plant

Smoke emanating from the biomedical waste plant in Deonar. File pic

In a major blow to residents of Govandi and Deonar, the shifting of SMS Envoclean, the sole biomedical treatment plant in the city, has been deferred for a year now. Even after the residents moved the National Green Tribunal accusing SMS Envoclean of polluting their neighbourhood and threatened to boycott civic elections, the Maharashtra Pollution Control board (MPCB) has now clarified that the shifting of the biomedical plant will happen only by June 2023, after it receives environmental clearance.

Disappointed, the locals are now blaming the state government and MPCB for failing to expedite the shifting process and exposing them to health hazards. "It was only after we sent another complaint to MPCB, that they sent a letter stating that the shifting has been deferred. We have sought an appointment with the new chief minister to discuss the issue. Hope we get an audience and the problem is resolved soon," said Fayyaz Shaikh, president of NGO Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society.

Also read: ‘Shift polluter, or we'll skip BMC polls': Govandi, Deonar, Mankhurd residents

Shaikh said, "We do not want to face health risks for another year. Considering this, we have demanded that until the facility is shifted, 100 per cent of biomedical waste should be sent to Taloja."

Another local, Rafiq Shaikh, said, "We hope the change in the government does not affect the case. We have been following up for years now. The people in this area have been suffering a lot due to the dumping ground and the biomedical waste treatment plant."

SMS Envoclean was appointed to start a facility to treat bio medical waste of the city in 2009 on build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis for 20 years. The facility has an online unit connected to the server at CPCB and MPCB to monitor the emissions.

A letter from the sub-regional officer, Mumbai to the regional officer about the new timeline for shifting the facility to Khalapur stated, "MPCB has received several complaints from time to time from local residents against the facility for allegedly emitting polluted gas/ black smoke. These residents have been since following up on getting the facility shifted to another location. MPCB too is following up on this matter on a priority basis. As a temporary resort to resolve the issue to some extent, MPCB has directed the facility to treat only 50 per cent of its total capacity of biomedical waste and the remaining 50 per cent will be sent to a facility in Taloja."

"The owners of the facility have already purchased a plot in Khalapur for the facility. The process to obtain environmental clearance for setting up the biomedical waste treatment plant in Khalapur is currently underway. In a meeting held with former environment minister Aaditya Thackeray on June 6, the facility owners tabled a detailed timeline of the plan to set up the facility at Atkargaon in Khalapur. Accordingly, it was stated in the meeting that after obtaining the EC, the setting up of the facility will take more time. The timeline for setting up the facility has been estimated to be June 2023," said a senior MPCB official.

In their petition, locals alleged that tuberculosis (TB), asthma and other health complications among thousands of residents have been aggravated because of the smoke being spewed by the plant that burns down city hospitals' waste. They added that politicians and elected representatives have abandoned them and it's time to desert those contesting in the upcoming civic elections.

In October and November 2020, the state environment department directed that the facility be relocated 70 km outside of Mumbai to Khalapur by February 2022. While the deadline was later extended to May 20 of this year, locals said, nothing has been done to move the plant out of Govandi.

June
Month in 2023 when the plant is to be shifted