Garbage blaze sparks alarm at TMC site near Vasai Creek and mangroves
THANE: A fire at a temporary garbage dump set up by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) near Vasai Creek — within a designated Coastal Regulatory Zone — has triggered alarm over environmental violations and potential damage to sensitive mangrove and forest areas. The site, located in Gaimukh along Ghodbunder Road and near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), is under scrutiny for breaching ecological safeguards.
The fire, allegedly sparked by methane emissions from the accumulated waste, has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups. Vanashakti, a city-based environmental NGO, has written to multiple authorities, including the Thane collector, SGNP director, and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), flagging the grave violations taking place.
'The site at Gaimukh abutting the Vasai Creek is forest land and a mangrove buffer zone. It is shocking to see garbage being dumped and burned in such a sensitive ecological area,' said Stalin D, director of Vanashakti, in a letter dated May 6.
Citing GPS coordinates provided by local observers, the NGO stated that the dump site is barely 30 metres from the creek — a clear violation of CRZ norms. Satellite images and on-ground reports indicate that nearly 15,000 metric tonnes of garbage have been stored over a one-hectare plot, sparking concerns of leachate contamination and irreversible damage to mangrove ecosystems.
Eyewitnesses and environmentalists report that fires have become a recurring phenomenon, with smoke drifting into nearby forest tracts and toxic ash finding its way into the water body. 'Mountains of garbage are being set ablaze and pushed into the creek. This is not just negligence — it is environmental vandalism,' Stalin alleged, noting that TMC's actions violate ongoing directives from the Bombay High Court regarding air pollution.
TMC, however, has offered a different version of events. 'The fire was caused by naturally occurring methane gas from decomposing waste,' said Manoj Joshi, deputy municipal commissioner of TMC. 'This location was always meant to be temporary. We began using it only in January and are in the process of appointing a contractor to shift the waste elsewhere.'
But this stopgap solution has only highlighted the municipality's larger crisis in solid waste management. In April, Thane city was reeling under a garbage backlog, with uncollected waste piling up on streets. Civic officials blame the ongoing lack of secure dumping sites, and the delay in operationalising a new 35-acre landfill in Atkoli, Bhiwandi, due to stalled tendering.
Thane currently generates over 1,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily. While a portion is routed to the CP Talao garbage transfer station for sorting, final disposal is increasingly becoming a challenge with existing landfills at Diaghar and Gaimukh reaching saturation.
Environmentalists warn that continuing this approach of 'temporary solutions' is no longer tenable, especially when such sites are located within ecologically sensitive zones. 'This is not just about garbage anymore — it is about the survival of forests, mangroves, and marine life. The system needs to shift from dumping to decentralised processing and sustainable waste governance,' Stalin added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Official suspended for poor construction of govt office building
T richy: An assistant engineer in the rural development department has been suspended for failing to follow guidelines in the construction of a panchayat office near Thanjavur. The plaster in the building's ceiling came off after the chief minister inaugurated the office via video conference earlier this week. The panchayat office in Suryanar Kovil in Thiruvidaimaruthur block in Thanjavur district was constructed for 30 lakh under Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT) state govt scheme. Stalin opened various completed projects, including the aforementioned office, via video conference on June 15. After the opening, work was carried out to mount ceiling fans inside the office. However, to the shock of everyone, the plaster in the ceiling started coming off. On June 19, senior officials from the rural development and panchayat raj department conducted an inspection. They found that the technical guideline of 'applying two coats of ceiling putty plastering' issued last year had not been followed during the construction. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending Local Enterprise Accounting Software [Click Here] Accounting ERP Click Here Undo Action was subsequently taken to rectify the error. In a statement on Friday, the Thanjavur district administration said that technical guidelines were reminded multiple times in various meetings conducted by the project director of DRDA, district collector, additional chief secretary, and commissioner in charge of the rural development and panchayat raj department. The statement confirmed that the assistant engineer in charge of the panchayat office construction in Suryanar Kovil did not follow the guidelines. Hence, the official was suspended based on the recommendations of the district collector. An explanation was also sought from two assistant engineers for the negligence. Thanjavur district collector B Priyanka Pankajam instructed the technical guidelines to be followed during the construction of all govt office buildings in the future.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
First mangrove parks to come up at Airoli, Ghansoli
NAVI MUMBAI: Eco-tourism will get a boost in Navi Mumbai with the city's first mangrove parks set to come up in Airoli and Ghansoli. The Maharashtra forest department has appointed a consultant for conceptual design and planning services for the development of the parks, following a tender process. Mumbai, India - March 24, 2015: A stretch of mangrooves, fenced and now accolated to builders, now under the new development plan, near Juhu-Versova Link road, at Andheri, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. (Photo by Vidya Subramanian/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) Navi Mumbai, located along the creek, has been developed through reclamation of salt lands and the creek area. The vibrant mangroves jungle along its coastline has played a major role in protecting it from flooding, even during the 26/7 deluge. In the past few years, however, the mangrove jungles have faced destruction and threats in the name of development and from encroachments. Hence, for preservation, the Mangrove Division North Konkan under the Mangrove Cell, Mumbai, has started work on developing an eco-sensitive recreational, educational and conservation infrastructure. CoBOL Architects & Planners has been issued the work order for conceptual and detailed architectural design of the mangrove parks. Said a forest official, 'The parks are aimed at promoting mangrove conservation, education, bio diversity awareness and research through community engagement in compliance with all environmental regulations.' Giving details of the project, he said, 'The parks will include elevated boardwalks, nature interpretation centres and educational and research facilities. There will be visitor amenities, pathways, decks, interpretation centres and signages.' Currently, work is being undertaken on site analysis and environmental assessment in coordination with experts. The consultant will prepare a conceptual and detailed architectural design of mangrove parks following which the development of the park will be taken up by an agency. 'The development of the parks will strictly follow CRZ norms with no cutting of mangroves permitted under any circumstance. Any land diversion will require prior approval from the central government, the High Court and Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA),' the official said. Forest minister Ganesh Naik, who plans to have four such mangrove parks in the city said, 'We are planning a world class facility in the Airoli-Ghansoli belt which is rich in mangroves, flamingos and biodiversity. There are plans for two more mangrove walks at Vashi and Belapur once the current pilot project takes off successfully.'
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Forest dept inspects Bandra Fort's ‘unauthorised' renovation
MUMBAI: The historic Bandra Fort, also known as Castella de Aguada, has allegedly suffered significant and potentially irreversible damage due to unauthorized repair and renovation work carried out within the sensitive Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ-IA), according to a complaint filed by Watchdog Foundation, an NGO. Concerned citizens and heritage conservationists have been raising the alarm over violations that have allegedly compromised the structural and historical integrity of this 17th-century landmark. Following up on the complaint, the forest guard in Versova carried out a panchnama of the Grade I heritage structure and visited the site on Friday to inspect for CRZ violations. Concerned citizens alleged that the renovation work being carried out at the Bandra Fort is turning out to be detrimental to its structural and historical integrity. Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, who was present at the site, told HT that the fort's walls were plastered with cement and paint instead of basalt stone, marring the heritage look. 'This complaint was made four months back but a site visit was done by the forest department and Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee today (Friday) to inspect the CRZ violations.' Built by the Portuguese in 1640, this iconic watchtower, overlooking Mahim Bay, once served as a strategic outpost for Portuguese naval operations. It has since become a symbol of Mumbai's colonial history and cultural richness. A previous conservation initiative was spearheaded in 2003 by the Bandra Bandstand Residents' Trust under the leadership of former member of parliament Shabana Azmi. It successfully stabilized the structure and prevented further erosion-related damage. That project followed internationally accepted conservation principles and aimed to preserve the fort's authenticity. However, recent unauthorized renovations have undermined those efforts, said Pimenta. 'Walls have been plastered and sections of the structure repaired using methods deemed inappropriate for a Grade I heritage site. According to heritage regulations, no work – whether development, redevelopment, or even cosmetic repairs like plastering or painting – can be undertaken on such protected sites without explicit, written approval from relevant authorities, including the Mumbai Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), the Heritage Conservation Committee, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the BMC,' added Pimenta. According to Pimenta, the unauthorised renovation work, including plastering and structural modifications, has altered the original character and materials of the fort, compromising its authenticity. He alleged standard conservation protocols were ignored, resulting in the loss of significant architectural features that form the fort's historic identity. 'Such violations not only constitute a breach of legal protections but also represent a grave cultural and civic failure. Experts warn that if such practices continue unchecked, Mumbai risks losing other irreplaceable heritage landmarks to similar negligence.' The forest guard in Borivali told HT that while prima facie there were no violations and a detailed report on the visit will be submitted next week.
