Mumbai: Polluted water, plastic trash put tourists off

Cities with beaches, anywhere in the world, are always a major draw for tourists. However, despite the fact that the city is blessed with a coastal stretch of 437.71 square kilometre and is dotted with several beaches on the western coast, tourists are always wary of entering the waters due to fear of high pollution levels. Many keep away because of the plastic trash strewn all over.

An analysis of the Water Quality Index (WQI) data - that indicates the level of pollution and is recorded monthly by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) indicated that sea water at popular tourist locations were found to be in 'Bad' category and considered to be 'Polluted' for several months at a stretch.

Of the 20 months starting from January 2017 to August 2018 the WQI of Juhu, Versova were rated as 'Polluted' for 11 and 12 months respectively while the WQI at Haji Ali and seawater at Nariman point was rated 'Polluted' for a total of 14 months.

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 water is considered polluted. The WQI is calculated based on pH levels, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, fecal Coliform of the water.

As per MPCB's own admission in National Green Tribunal (NGT)- a substantial source of pollution- about 93% is the discharge of domestic waste into the creeks. "There is generation of about 2671 million litres per day (mld) of sewage out of which 2016 mld sewage is being treated in the sewage treatment plant situated at eight locations and about 655 mld was being discharged directly without treatment into the creek at different locations," stated an affidavit filed by MPCB.

A senior MPCB official said that going by the quality of sea water at certain places it was not even advisable for people to enter the water as it could lead to skin issues due to high contamination. "The water quality will only improve once BMC ensures that not a single drop of untreated sewage enters the creeks and though they have been trying to improve the sewage treatment a lot remains desired," he said.

As per BMC figures on an average it collects 80 to 120 tonnes of garbage per day during monsoons while during the non monsoon period the waste collected daily is around 50 tonnes. While several beaches like Versova, Dadar and few others have seen citizens movement ridding the beach of the trash, others are left ignored.

"It's a shame that the authourities due to lack of vision have ended up destroying the beaches of Mumbai. Strict solid waste management rules along with proper sewage treatments plants could have ensured cleaner beach and good water quality but it never seemed as a priority for BMC or the State," says Priti Sharma a Juhu resident who daily walks along the Juhu beach.

• A 2015-16 study on beach litter by ReefWatch Marine Conservation found Juhu, Versova and Aksa to be the most polluted beaches.
   
• Most common trash found were plastic bags, PET bottles, clothes, cement bags, fishing nets, food wrappers, thermocol.