Development, environment should go hand-in-hand

Heaps of rubble seen at the site reserved for a civic facility in Kanjurmarg village

The (BMC) needs to pay attention to debris dumping on its land set aside for one of its facilities in Kanjurmarg village.

A Mumbai environmentalist brought the alleged violation to the attention of the Mumbai Suburban collector, civic chief and principal secretary of the urban development department via email. He told this paper about construction debris being dumped in Kanjurmarg village and the site has been earmarked for a BMC office.

With huge amounts of construction work on in the city, debris disposal has become a challenge. We have so many reports about debris being disposed of at certain open spaces. We have also had reports about debris being carted off near sea shores at night and being dumped there surreptitiously. We also witness debris being dumped on the side of roads, etc., in mounds or at dead ends, lying there for days or months with no solution in sight.

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Authorities now need to up dedicated dumping sites in Mumbai, and keep vigil that the debris dumping does not turn into a huge ecological disaster for the city. This means acting fast when complaints are raised, checking credibility and then moving if that merits action. It also means tracing the route of the debris and conducting an investigation about who is responsible. When we trace the problem to its source, we will be able to stop it at the root itself.

There is a real push for infrastructure boost in Mumbai. Our roads and transport system, too, are in overhaul, given the constant flux in the megapolis. It is important then, to have a holistic vision. When the project is in the planning stages, however big or small, debris disposal must be factored in and accent on disposal in a legal, proper way.

While expanding facilities, we must not pay with choked water bodies or green spaces that are buried under mounds.