Deonar ticking; Mumbai act before it’s too late

Mumbai is sitting on a health time bomb. The Deonar dumping ground, which is known to cause respiratory diseases, can also spread various infectious diseases, Sharad Kale, a senior scientist with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, said on Sunday.

The BMC dumps around 5,000-6,000 tonnes of garbage every day on the ground. Residents from surrounding areas (Chembur, Govandi, Mankhurd and Ghatkopar) have often complained of breathing problems and lung infections.

Referring to World Health Organisation (WHO) head Margaret Chan’s recent statement that infectious diseases will be on the rise in the years to come, Kale said people living close to the ground are “prone to pathogenic diseases”.

“More are likely to contract typhoid, cholera and tuberculosis with mosquitoes being the major carrier. The ground is a haven for mosquitoes.”

Kale said waste management across the country “is poor in general”. “The Deonar dump releases an alarming amount of toxic gases. This is bound to affect people.” Kale was one of the speakers at the two-day seminar, ‘Bio gas — the next step’, organised by NGO Stree Mukti Sanghatana and Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education in Mankhurd. 

The WHO recently said that people will suffer from infectious diseases in the years to come. And their number will keep rising because of increased antibiotic resistance, he said.

Kale, who is also a member of the panel formed by the Bombay high Court almost two years ago to look into decentralisation of garbage dumped at Deonar, said the best solution was to “set up bio-methanation decentralised plants across various pockets”. “It will not only benefit people in terms of fewer diseases, but will also generate manure and energy.

Also, it will cut down on transport cost as garbage will be processed in wards.”

The scientist claimed that his team, along with the NGO, had identified 150 locations across Mumbai about two years ago to set up such plants.

“But the BMC appeared least interested,” he said.
The BMC, however, refused to say anything about Kale’s suggestion.

Prakash Tavse, chief engineer (solid-waste management), at the BMC, said the Deonar dumping ground problem is being “blown out of proportion”. “Also, I have no idea on what basis Kale made such statements,” he said.

Raj Kumar Sharma, chief of a Chembur-based ALM (Advanced Locality Management), said the garbage at the Deonar ground has been burning every night for more than a month.

“The idea of setting up gas plants is good. But I doubt if it will be sufficient. Also, the cost factor cannot be ignored,” Sharma said. “Segregating waste in homes and composing waste might work out cheaper.”