MiD DAY investigations have revealed that the five rivers in and around the city are hidden below mounds of toxic effluents and garbage dumped on them, so much so that they are mistaken as nullahs by locals
MiD DAY investigations have revealed that the five rivers in and around the city are hidden below mounds of toxic effluents and garbage dumped on them, so much so that they are mistaken as nullahs by locals
While the world indulged in some naive optimism, holding seminars and forums about the need to create awareness about conservation and environmental issues on World Environment Day yesterday, an investigation undertaken by MiD DAY revealed the very flip side of the coin a shameful absence of awareness and an all-pervading public apathy that has metamorphosed entire eco-systems into toxic gutters overflowing with waste and debris.
Garbage and debris on the banks of Poisar River are a regular sight
Team MiD DAY decided to visit the four chief rivers flowing within the city limits-Dahisar, Poisar, Oshiwara and the Mithi. It also paid a visit to the River Ulhas, which flows just beyond Mumbai territory.
The first thing that struck these reporters is that most of the locals living near the rivers are utterly ignorant of the fact that the water bodies were rivers to begin with.
When asked for directions, they referred to the water bodies as gutters or nullahs. But to its dismay, team MiD DAY soon discovered why the locals had completely failed to correctly identify the water bodies because their deplorable appearance belies their identity as rivers.
Expert speak
Environmentalist Debi Goenka said, "It is not only the people who are at fault. The BMC
calls these rivers nullahs.
So the ignorant people treat them as nullahs. These rivers have been unabashedly turned into sewage drains. Rivers like Dahisar and Poisar, which originate in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, are in a decent condition till
the park boundaries. As soon as they flow into the city proper, however, they turn into BMC nullahs.
A tributary of one of the rivers, which used to flow in Thane and meet the creek, has completely disappeared. And as always, the BMC and the MMRDA keep passing the buck back and forth between each other," said Goenka.u00a0
Environmental lawyer Girish Raut, who has been crusading for the cause said, "These rivers are nothing but sewage pipelines for Mumbaikars, especially for the BMC. We are proud that Mumbai is the financial capital of the country.
A BMC notice on the banks of River Oshiwara asking to avoid littering goes unnoticed
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But sadly, it is the unchecked rate of industrialisation and urbanisation that has turned an eco-system into a death trap for organisms. The flooding of the Mithi River in 2005 was like a big warning bell. There is no 'Undo' button for what is being done to the rivers.
Bandra Kurla Complex, which is cited as an example of planned modernisation, actually has a murky history not only has it wreaked havoc with the mangrove habitat, it has altered the course of the Mithi River beyond repair.
Even the other rivers like Oshiwara and Poisar are suffering due to the problems of encroachment, embankment and indiscriminate dumping of industry effluents into its waters.
He continued, "Our rivers were home to a unique range of flora and fauna, including migratory birds and rare species of crocodiles.
However, over the past decades, we have been tampering with the rivers, in the name of infrastructure and precaution against floods.
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The oxygen levels in these rivers touched rock- bottom. It has not registered yet that just like these creatures, we too will be wiped off the face of the planet, some time soon."
Ignorance is bliss?
When team MiD DAY quizzed some citizens about the rivers in their city, their ignorance became quite apparent.
I am aware of the Mithi River because of the 2005 floods. I have also heard of the Ulhas River. I had no idea of other rivers in Mumbai.u00a0
Chandni Shrivastav (21)
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I know about the Mithi River. I have heard that Mumbai is surrounded by water and there are many sewage dumps in it. But I did not know that our rivers serve as sewerage lines.
Mansi Sanghavi (21)
I have read about the various rivers of India in school, but none of my textbooks mentioned the rivers of Mumbai. I only came to know about it during the floods. I heard about the Dahisar River for the first time when the locals complained about accumulating dump in it.
Yash Vora (15)
Official speak
Bhalchandra Patil, head of the solid waste management department (BMC) said, "According to the rules laid down by the Pollution Control Board (PCB), industry effluents cannot be dumped in the river before being treated first.
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You will have to talk to the PCB about the checks that they are meant to conduct regularly. As for the garbage-dumping problem, we had employed clean-up marshals earlier to collect fines from people who used the rivers as dumping grounds. The practice was discontinued six months back, but we will be resuming it this week.
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The greatest problem is the encroachment on the banks of these rivers, as the locals keep offloading their garbage in it.
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We can put a stop to these indiscriminate activities only by educating the locals and causing genuine awareness and concern among them. Each and every piece of garbage cannot be monitored.
Even well-educated people have been caught throwing things out of their cars. It is not a matter of class or education, but of awareness."
Ajit Sharaf, joint director of the Water Pollution Control, PCB said, "First of all, there has been no official notification that these water bodies are rivers. However, we have been pursuing the
Corporation
to prepare an action plan on the water bodies. It is true that encroachment and the growing slums in the areas have been posing a threat to all the water bodies. We have drafted proposals for the construction of new sewage treatment plants."
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