The stadium is scheduled to host the final of the 2011 cricket World Cup. It is being modernised to meet international standards.
The renovation of Wankhede stadium is polluting the environment. On inspecting the area, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has found a rise in the level of pollutants in the air and groundwater.
Based on the findings, the MPCB sent a show-cause notice to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) last week asking why the construction work should not be stopped. The stadium is scheduled to host the final of the 2011 cricket World Cup. It is being modernised to meet international standards.
During the inspection on November 24, 2009, the MPCB’s sub-regional officer found increased levels of respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) in the air. An MPCB official said the RSPM levels were four times above the permissible levels and the NOx levels were on the higher side.
He blamed a plant inside the stadium that produces cement concrete mixture. “Given the recorded pollution levels, asthma patients in nearby building would have breathing problems,” he said.
The work is also polluting the groundwater, the official said. “The biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand (BOD/COD) levels and the pH levels are on the higher side,” he said. “This indicates groundwater pollution because of effluents and waste.”
Mahesh Phatak, member secretary of the MPCB, said the cricket association was still to send a reply. “We will take action after giving them a hearing,” he said. The MCA has been given 15 days to reply.
But Lalchand Rajput, MCA joint secretary, said, “We have not received anything. We will see what needs to be done.”
The MPCB carried out an inspection after Amit Maru, an activist, filed a complaint about the area being polluted because of the work. Cases of malaria were on the rise in the area, he said, which the BMC, too, has recorded. The Marine Drive Citizens’ Association, too, has protested against the work. Maru termed the MPCB notice an eyewash. “The inspection was carried out in November, they are issuing a notice after four months.”
An MPCB source said the cricket association had been provided with a list of corrective measures to stop pollution.
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