Latest news with #MaharashtraPollutionControlBoard
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
Illegal RMC plants built on wetlands, says Maharashtra pollution control board (MPCB) units continued operations using generators despite closure orders
(File photo) The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has confirmed the illegal operation of several Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plants on Vasai wetlands VASAI: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has confirmed that several Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plants in Vasai were running illegally on land marked as wetlands. This confirmation follows FIRs filed by revenue officials against 28 RMC units for not submitting valid approval documents. "Your plant is located in Sasunavghar area which is a wetland natural intertidal mudflat area and where illegal dumping of the debris was observed by the joint inspection committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in a case filed in 2023," read the notice copy sent to RMC plant owners. Sasunavghar and Maljipada are very close to Vasai creek and contain several wetland parcels and mangroves. Anand Katole, sub-regional officer (SRO), said that, "MPCB doesn't have the right to file an FIR against illegal RMC units but only issue closure notices. If they are found active even after closure notices then we have to approach the court but still cannot file FIR's against such erring units, said MPCB SRO Anand Katole." He also said that after it was found that the RMC units were operating even after closure notices by using generators, they wrote to the VVCMC to seal those generators as it falls under their jurisdiction. He also confirmed that the MPCB can only send details of illegal RMC units to the MSEB, who then disconnect the power supply to such units. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo It has now been confirmed that the illegal RMC units, even after receiving closure notices from the MPCB and having their power disconnected by MSEB, continued operating for months using generators — surprisingly, without anyone noticing. Deepak Rao, an activist, said that there is no coordination between the VVCMC, MPCB, and the revenue officials. "How can RMC units operate illegally in broad daylight with no one noticing it," he questioned. He claimed that the wetlands have been reclaimed by filling them with thousands of tonnes of construction debris and sand to level the ground, which has contributed to highway flooding in recent years. Illegal construction, he added, has irrevocably damaged the eco-sensitive zones and wetlands of Vasai. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Time of India
Vasai revenue officials file FIR against 28 ready mix cement plants
VASAI : The Vasai revenue officials have filed an FIR against 28 ready mix cement (RMC) plant owners for polluting the environment, deteriorating the water quality and operating without any permissions at the Naigaon police station last week. It was the revenue officials who filed a complaint while the implementing and supervising body, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) was found napping. The activists were upset that it was the revenue official who took the pain while it was the basic job of the MPCB. Apart from polluting the environment the RMC trucks are often seen driving on the wrong side, day and night, on the Mumbai Ahmedabad national highway (NH48) without any fear from the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) cops or the Highway police. The FIR filed on May 7 has been filed under the BNS sections 223 (disobedience to orders issued by public servants), 270 (public nuisance) and 279 (offences concerning the quality of public water sources). The FIR also mentions that these 28 RMC plants and Dambur Plants (Asphalt plants or Asphalt mixing plants) are the source of pollution for Air and Water. The FIR clearly mentions that the effluent generated by these RMC plants have been openly discharged in the water bodies further deteriorating the potable quality of streams and ponds, used on a daily basis by the locals and the villagers. Sushil Morale, Talathi (revenue official) said that on April 22 2025, we conducted survey of RMC and Dambur plants in two villages - Sasunavghar & Maljipada, in Vasai Taluka, after orders from our Tehsildar Avinash Koshti, as he had received several complaints about illegally operated RMC plants and pollution arising from them. He also said that these 28 units didnt produce any documents showcasing permissions from various government agencies who issue permissions to operate these units. We also gave them two weeks, but since they didnt turn-up with legal documents, we proceeded with the FIR. Now they will have to produce those documents to the cops post which their legality would be exposed. Deepak Rao, an activist in Vasai, who has filed PIL's regarding safeguarding the reclaimed waterbodies and escalating issues like illegal construction on forest land, said that, this was the job of the MPCB and not the revenue officials. What checks does the MPCB have in place while other government agency filed FIR against RMC's for polluting the environment, he questioned. We have acted on 20 RMC plants in MBMC and VVCMC jurisdiction in the last eight months and this is an ongoing activity, said Kiran Hasabnis, Regional Officer, MPCB, Thane. Filing FIR against 28 polluting units in one single day and taking action against 20 RMC units in eight months only speaks about the lackadaisical approach of the MPCB, added Deepak. In the first week of May, two natives from Uttar Pradesh had died after falling into a well, 30-feet deep, at a RMC unit located at Naigaon. The Naigaon cops had registered an accidental death report (ADR) in that case and have said that the investigation is still on.
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Govandi residents accuse MPCB of undervaluing environmental violations by biomedical waste facility
MUMBAI: Residents of Govandi have accused the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) of grossly underreporting and mishandling environmental violations by SMS Envoclean Pvt. Ltd., which operates a biomedical waste treatment facility in the area. A biomedical waste treatment facility is a specialised center that handles, processes, and disposes of hazardous waste from healthcare and research facilities, such as used syringes, bandages, surgical instruments, pathological waste, pharmaceuticals, and materials contaminated with blood, bodily fluids, or infectious agents. In a fresh application filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a specialised judicial body in India established to address environmental disputes, on June 2, the Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society alleged that MPCB failed to impose appropriate environmental penalties on the facility, despite repeated violations of the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 (BMWM Rules). The Society claims that the MPCB ignored key violations such as untreated effluent discharge, improper handling of biomedical waste, and manipulation of emissions data while calculating Environmental Damage Compensation (EDC). Citing the Polluter Pays and Precautionary Principles, which requires polluters to bear the costs of pollution prevention, control, and restoration, the petition demands a new, legally sound assessment of the environmental damage and seeks personal accountability of MPCB officials for allegedly suppressing evidence and failing to perform their statutory duties. The society pointed to several complaints it had made in the past, flagging serious concerns over toxic emissions and adverse health impacts from the plant. Following inspections, the MPCB issued closure directions in July 2019, confirming violations of the BMWM Rules. However, despite this, the board imposed no penalty and calculated a compensation of just ₹14.22 lakh—an amount the petitioners say grossly favours the polluter. Dissatisfied with the inaction, the society initially filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court. On September 11, 2023, the High Court directed the petitioners to approach the NGT for suitable remedies. In its plea, the society accused the MPCB of deliberately excluding crucial evidence of non-compliance, including failure to meet treated wastewater standards and delays in disposing of biomedical waste within the mandated 48-hour period. 'MPCB chose to disregard these key violations for reasons best known to them,' the petition closure notice issued by MPCB itself, dated July 6, 2019, documented several infractions- failure to segregate waste as per the 2016 Rules, poor maintenance of biomedical waste records, unwashed transport vehicles at the site, and transportation vehicles lacking mandatory biohazard symbols. 'Despite these glaring lapses, MPCB has under-calculated the compensation and misled the tribunal,' the petition alleged. The residents further invoked the Central Pollution Control Board's 2019 guidelines, which require enhanced penalties for repeat violations—guidelines that MPCB allegedly failed to apply. This, the petition claims, has made such violations economically viable for offending the society alleged that MPCB excluded 267 days during the COVID-19 pandemic and another 395 days in 2020–21 from its compensation calculation—periods during which violations had occurred. Calling for the application of the strict and absolute liability principle under environmental law, the society urged the NGT to direct MPCB to reassess and impose a fair and accurate EDC on the polluter.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Pune's Sacred Indrayani River Is Choked By Toxic Foam
1 2 3 Pune: The Indrayani, where lakhs of pilgrims take a dip throughout the year, is dirty, smelling and frothing. The foam stems from many million litres of untreated sewage and unchecked release of effluents. Sustained neglect of the river is making it go the same way as the Mula-Mutha. Authorities promise action but little seems to change to keep it clean. Rising pollution in the river since 2022 has prompted senior politicians — most recently deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and earlier, CM Devendra Fadnavis, as well as other ministers — to repeatedly and publicly declare that govt will work on a 'war footing' to stop release of untreated sewage waste into the river. But action has not translated on ground. The district administration and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have also apparently done precious little to improve the river's health for years on end. "For others, it is just a river. For us, it is no less than a mother," said Parshuram Patil Maharaj, a famous kirtankar (religious performer) who grew up in Alandi. "It is painful and disheartening to see the growing level of pollution in the Indrayani year after year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo I am surprised nothing has been done in all these decades to improve its condition," he added. How does the river get so polluted? The around 100km journey of the river begins at Kurvande village near Lonavla's famous tourist place 'Tiger Point' in Maval tehsil. It flows through Talegaon Dabhade, Dehu (another pilgrim hub) and then comes to urban pockets of Pimpri Chinchwad before streaming down to Alandi. In the end, it merges into the Bhima river at Tulapur village in Haveli tehsil. There are multiple reasons behind the river's pollution right from its origin. For one, a huge quantity of untreated sewage is released into it at multiple locations, as determined in a comprehensive survey by a team of MPCB officials in the recent past. A senior MPCB official confirmed to TOI, "Lakhs of litres of untreated sewage from municipal councils of Lonavla, Dehu and Alandi are released daily into the river. There are some points where industrial effluents get released, too. After our survey, we also served notices to these bodies and levied fines. But it has not improved the situation." JS Salunkhe, regional officer of MPCB, Pune, said, "We have told all municipal bodies to treat their sewage before releasing it into the river. They have promised us that they would set up sewage treatment plants (STPs) to do this." According to an MPCB report, existing STPs of PCMC require an upgrade to meet prescribed standards. Further, a PMRDA pollution abatement project proposal, which involves setting up 18 more STPs along the Indrayani, is still pending approval. "It is nothing but a blame game," said NGO Jeevitnadi founder Shailaja Deshpande, who has been working in the sphere of river conservation for over a decade."Officials fail to work on the ground. We have seen their efforts from close quarters all these years. Apart from serving notices to civic bodies, they do no concrete work. It is a sad fact," she added. Greens advocated for dedicated teams to monitor every river regularly and advised the authorities to conduct drone surveys to identify spots where the sewage is released into the river to keep a check. "Unless this is done, offenders will not take the issue seriously," said Deshpande. Authorities engage in blame game Asked about the issue, district collector Jitendra Dudi, told TOI that they are drafting a 'comprehensive' Indrayani river pollution clean-up plan. However, he could not provide specific details, saying it is still at the development stage. "Each municipal council and PCMC will have to chip in to look after their respective stretches of the river," he said. Activists said a workable and practical approach needs to be adopted. "Instead of looking for hypothetical solutions, the authorities should adopt a pragmatic approach to address this long-pending issue. They should hire expert agencies and execute work through them. One solution is to establish STPs to treat sewage," said activist Arjun Medankar from Alandi. Deshpande also said more stringent rules need to be introduced to punish violators, whether companies, housing societies, or more. "Unless we have a strong deterrent mechanism, nobody will take govt agencies seriously. Often, MPCB serves notice to the violators. If that was an effective solution, the desired results should have been achieved by now. That has not happened. A new approach is necessary to tackle this complex issue," added Medankar. A section of MPCB officials said municipal bodies should appoint a dedicated squad to keep a watch on offenders. "For us, shortage of manpower is the biggest hurdle. That is why we serve notices and impose fines. If municipal bodies act at their level, things will change immediately on ground," said an MPCB official. Massive health concerns for residents along banks UN Champions of Earth awardee and well-known ecologist Madhav Gadgil earlier this year, while highlighting that not a single river in India is pollution-free, had spoken specifically about the Indrayani and noted, "It is full of poisonous foam." Locals said this has been the case for years. Alandi Municipal Council chief officer Madhav Khandekar said, "We have advised residents not to use river water for drinking — for their safety. They only used it for domestic purposes for the last few years." By the time the water flows into Alandi, it turns dark with pollutants and thick, toxic foam forming over the top, ranging for a kilometre or more. Fish die in droves due to lack of oxygen. At several spots, hyacinth flourishes, leading to severe mosquito breeding concerns. Pollution further breeds worries of waterborne infections, respiratory issues, skin irritations, gastrointestinal distress and even long-term health concerns like cardiovascular disease and cancer. Lawyer-activist Vilas Kate from Alandi pointed out, "Not a single agency has carried out a health survey of the affected population. A comprehensive ground survey is needed to understand health issues in villages on the riverbanks." A senior doctor from the Alandi Rural Health Hospital said, "Even if people don't drink this river water, regular use for domestic purposes poses a big risk to health. We see many patients affected by river pollution. It is an alarming situation in Alandi." Kate added, "Nobody cares about the Indrayani. All promises made in all these years were hollow. We are surprised by the audacity of the authorities." President of Indrayani Seva Foundation, Vitthal Shinde told TOI, "Several industries, as well as housing societies, discharge sewage and effluents directly into the river. Dead fish float up at least twice or thrice a year and that has been the case for the last eight years. Detergent found in the river is also a big reason for fish dying. There are environmental norms that industries and residential units must comply with, but most of them don't have high capacity or functional sewage treatments plants. " "In the absence of regular checks by competent authorities, pollution in the river will only increase year on year," Shinde added. A sacred river for lakhs of devotees The Indrayani river has a special place in the hearts of the warkari community, many of whom visit Dehu and Alandi regularly on its banks for a darshan at the temples of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, respectively. As per tradition, devotees also take a 'holy dip' in the same river before visiting these temples. "No matter what the pollution level in the river is, we take a holy dip before going to the temple. This is our tradition. We will follow it even if the water is unhealthy," said Sandesh Deshmukh from Beed district. Many like him are upset with state govt for paying no heed to their religious sentiments. Pandurang Kale, another warkari from Marathwada region, said, "In Maharashtra, warkaris take a holy dip only in two rivers — the Indrayani and the Chandrabhaga (Bhima) in Pandharpur. Govt should have maintained the sanctity of these rivers." NGT seeks compensation from Dehu Nagar Panchayat NGT's principal bench in New Delhi had taken suo motu cognizance of a TOI report published on March 15, 2024. In response, the bench issued notices to MPCB, CPCB, the Central Institute of Fisheries Education in Mumbai, and the Pune district collector, seeking their replies on the matter. A subsequent inspection revealed that the STP operated by Dehu Nagar Panchayat was non-functional. During a hearing at the NGT's Western Zonal Bench in Pune on Nov 25, 2024, the tribunal directed MPCB to assess and explain, the quantum of environmental damage compensation, to be levied on the Dehu Nagar Panchayat. The bench also instructed the panchayat to submit a timeline for setting up functional STPs and for the rejuvenation of Ghat nullah and Kapur nullah, both identified as the main sources of pollution. Action plan as suggested by MPCB - Irrigation department should maintain minimum natural flow in the Indrayani river - Local bodies/irrigation department should remove/sedimentation at bunds - STPs of PCMC need upgradation to achieve BOD of 10 mg/1 as per prescribed standards - Local bodies must make budgetary provisions for STPs on Indrayani (circular on July 16, 2016) - Various departments of local bodies must coordinate to plan water supply, sewerage network and STPs while granting building permissions - Gram and Nagar panchayats should confirm at least provision of septic tank before passing plans of standalone houses - Local bodies, agencies and NGOs must raise awareness on issue
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Horse dung causing severe pollution in Matheran, says interim MPCB report submitted in NGT
Pune: Tourism-related horse activity has led to severe environmental degradation in Matheran hill station, according to a recent site analysis in the eco-sensitive zone. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) submitted an interim report of the analysis, which highlighted the increase in air, water and soil pollution from horse dung in Matheran, to the National Green Tribunal in April. Air quality analysis conducted at three sites in the region showed that the average PM10 levels in Dasturi Naka, the Main Market Area, and Nagar Parishad exceeded the CPCB standards of 100 micrograms per cubic metre by 40% to 72%. The PM2.5 levels at these locations exceeded the CPCB standard of 60 micrograms per cubic metre by 6% to 8%. PM10 refers to particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less, which are inhalable. These particles are considered "coarse" and can be found in dust, smoke, and other air pollutants. PM10 is responsible for severe lung infections and congestion. PM2.5, which is smaller than 2.5 micrometers, is considered the most hazardous air pollutant. It can be deposited in lungs, causing respiratory problems and other health issues. The report attributed the source of the air pollution in these three regions to aerosolized dried dung particles, dust generation from unpaved roads, and ammonia and methane volatilization during dung composition. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: 1 simple trick to get all TV channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo For water quality, researchers collected samples from Charlotte Lake near Dashkriya Shade and four other areas. The report highlighted severe contamination of water sources, with levels of turbidity, E. coli, nitrates, phosphates, and heavy metals like lead exceeding safe limits. These indicators pointed to direct faecal pollution, nutrient overload and potential health risks. "The convergence of nutrient enrichment, microbial loading, and toxic heavy metal presence signifies a cumulative ecological degradation scenario. This not only threatens local biodiversity, especially in streams and forest riparian zones, but also undermines soil stability and water quality across the landscape," said the report. This can cause algal blooms and lack of access to safe water as well, the report said, and added that high salinity, along with elevated carbon, in the soil could cause significant ecological stress. Soil health was degrading in areas with high horse traffic, and urgent measures should be taken to stop the contamination of water bodies at the hill station, the report added. The team suggested detailed waste management and limiting the movement of horses to less than 300 a day to ensure less stress on the environment. In Oct, the National Green Tribunal bench in Pune heard an application by a resident, stating that Matheran faced serious environmental degradation due to the excessive use of horses for tourism and goods transportation. The bench then constituted a joint committee of representatives from the ministry of environment, forests and climate change, Matheran municipal council and MPCB to assess the damage and suggest recuperation methods. MPCB sought assistance from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Raigad, the state's umbrella university for engineering colleges, to make an elaborate assessment of the damage. An expert team from BATU and Nagesh Karajagi Orchid College of Engineering and Technology in Solapur, conducted the first phase of the assessment during the pre-monsoon period. The first phase involved systematic sampling of air, water and soil across various locations. The team is now preparing to carry out the second phase of the assessment during the monsoon season. GRAPHIC: FINDINGS OF THE STUDY Air pollution Location — PM10 — PM2.5 Dasturi Naka — 144.41 µg/m³ — 76 Main Market Area — 171.93 — 64 Nagar Parishad — 141.8 — 71 CPCB standard — 100 — 60 * 24-hr avg of PM10 and PM 2.5 levels (in micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³)) Water pollution Sampling spots Charlotte Lake, near Dashkriya shade Charlotte Lake, steps of Dashkriya shade Charlotte Lake, at a distant location from the steps Upstream side of Charlotte Lake Simpson Tank, near the parking area At the 4th and 5th sampling spots, lead concentrations of 0.15 mg/L and 0.08 mg/L were detected. This was well above the permissible limit of 0.01 mg/L The 5th sample also contained 100 cfu/mL of E. coli, indicating microbial contamination The 4th sample exhibited extremely high turbidity, recorded at 550 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units), significantly exceeding the tolerable limit of 1 NTU and the maximum allowable limit of 5 NTU SOIL POLLUTION At one location of soil testing, decomposing horse dung was observed to have caused a spike in soil carbon content, reaching 2.35%, indicating potential organic overload and soil quality degradation
