MPCB tests city's waters; Mithi river consistently most polluted

Mumbai's most prominent river turned sewer, Mithi, has held the distinction of being the most heavily polluted water body in a row for nine consecutive month right from September 2016 up to May 2017, as per the Water Quality Index (WQI) figures of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB).

According to MPCB, if the WQI figure is 38 and below, the category is listed as bad to very bad and the water is considered heavily polluted while WQI 38 to 50 is considered bad and the water is termed polluted. In fact, in the period between September to May, only twice did the WQI of water in Mithi cross 30.

MPCB regularly monitors the water quality across 250 Water Quality Monitoring Stations (WQMS) for both surface and ground water. In Mumbai, water is monitored at 12 locations including Nariman Point, Mahim Creek, Charni Road Chowapatty and Gateway of India.

Meanwhile, MPCB officials shared that apart from Mithi river, the WQI of sea water tested at places like Juhu beach, Charni Road Chowpatty, Haji Ali were also found to be consistently in the polluted category.

A senior MPCB official stated that WQI is calculated based on pH levels, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and fecal Coliform. "Its not surprising that places like Mithi river or sea water along Juhu, Girgaon and Haji Ali top the list as these witness heavy load of sewage flushed out without proper treatment, which is the biggest culprit. During the monsoon, getting drenched in the waves lashing from these areas is a health risk," he said.

Stalin D, Director Projects for NGO Vanashakti whose petition against the wall and pollution of Mithi is pending in the Supreme Court, said that it only went on to expose the scam of MMRDA in the name of cleaning up of the river. "MMRDA needs to answer why, despite pumping hundreds of crores of taxpayers money for almost a decade, the quality of water in Mithi has not improved by even a small margin," he said, adding that these figures showed MMRDA does not want Mithi to become a river.

Pradip Patade, who has been documenting marine life found along Mumbai coast said that despite the pollution indicated by the WQI of MPCB areas like Girgaon Chowpatty and Haji Ali, they were home to rich marine biodiversity from sea anemones to Dolphins. "Its such irony that the State Government is ready to put in huge sums of money for memorials and statues in the sea near Mumbai, but is doing nothing to ensure there are sewage treatment plants to treat waste water removing all the nutrients before flushing them in the ocean," he shared.

WATER QUALITY INDEX

WQI figure 38 and below- Heavily polluted.
WQI 38 to 50- Polluted
WQI of Mithi River between September 2016 to May 2017
September 2016- 24.59
November 2016- 24.09
January 2017- 27.50
March 2017- 25.04
May 2017- 27.12
WQI- May 2017:
At Nariman Point- 45.72
Thane Creek: 46.98
Mahim creek: 44.84
Gateway of India: 47.21