Pollution main reason for rehabilitated persons’ deaths: Yashwant Jadhav

Twenty one project-affected persons (PAPs), who were rehabilitated in Mahul, Chembur from a slum in Mazagaon, have died in the last one year, claimed Yashwant Jadhav, Leader of House during a standing committee meeting held on Wednesday. 

He said that around 220 PAPs were rehabilitated in July 2016 in Mahul and pollution was one of the main reasons for their deaths.

Majority of the members of the civic standing committee critcised the civic administration’s decision to rehabilitate PAPs in Mahul, which is quite polluted. The issue cropped up after a proposal of lifting and dumping of  31,300 metric tonnes of debris was tabled before the committee.

Following a High Court order, the civic administration has to demolish around 2,213 hutment along 10- metre Tansa pipeline in Ghatkopar in N ward, and the proposal is about lifting and dumping demolition debris from the site. Jadhav said that every month, at least two people are dying due to pollution. 

“It is very unfortunate that civic administration has left poor people to die in a polluted area like Mahul, which houses chemical manufacturing units and chemical warehouses,” Jadhav said. He added that there should be policy in which PAPs must be rehabilitated within 3 km of their hutment.

“If Girgaon people are rehabilitated at the same place, why are other ward slums sent to Mahul village in Chembur?” said BJP group leader Manoj Kotak. 

He added that the civic administration should also consider humanitarian ground while rehabilitating PAPs.

Slum dwellers along the Tansa pipeline in Ghatkopar have refused to move into these tenements complaining that the area is highly polluted. 

“There is nothing but pollution and chronic ailments in store at Mahul. No one wants to go there to die,” said Congress group of leader Ravi Raza. He added that even from his ward F North, around 14,00 people rehabilitated to Mahul village where there are no utilities available will be affected.

Analysis

Mahul, Marawali, Chembur and its adjoining areas are rated as the most polluted suburbs in Mumbai in the Environment Status Report 2012 compiled by the BMC. 
One of the six air-monitoring stations set up by the BMC has shown a drastic increase in the level of pollutants in the area.
The area has many industries, petroleum refineries (BPCL, HPCL and IOC), fertiliser unit (RCF), and power generation units (Tata Power) apart from BMC’s biggest dumping ground, Deonar.