The environment department in the Maharashtra government has passed an order that the Govandi’s only biomedical waste treatment facility has to be shifted out of Mumbai by December 2021 and the process be completed by February 2022 to improve air quality in the eastern suburbs.

Residents from regions like Govandi, Mankhurd, Deonar and surrounding areas have filed repeated complaints against SMS Envoclean Pvt Ltd about toxic air and black smoke emitted after incinerating personal protective equipment (PEE) kits, from the treatment facility, allegedly leading to health ailments in the area. Envoclean had been appointed by the civic body to deal with Mumbai’s Covid-19 and associated biomedical waste from June onwards.

Aaditya Thackeray, the state environment minister had directed the treatment facility to be shifted out within a year. He further asked that the facility needs to expedite the process of identifying an alternate site for their operations within a month. A 3-acre plot had been identified by the plant operators at an uninhabited location around 70 km from Mumbai at Khalapur in Raigad district.

Plant operators at the SMS Envoclean said that they were devastated by the decision. Amit Nilawar, director of SMS Envoclean said, “We do not have any other option. We now have to bear a cost of Rs 50 crore for setting up the entire facility at Khalapur and all efforts made in Mumbai will be wasted.”

Nilawar added that with a drop in Covid-19 cases, the quantity of Covid-19 and other biomedical waste had reduced by 47% since September-October. He further added, “We are now receiving 17 to 18 tons per day against 32 tons till October first week. However, we are sending 6-7 tons to another unit in Taloja – Mumbai Waste Management Ltd for treatment.”

A local resident from Govandi, requesting anonymity, said that the citizens welcomed the decision but hoped that the shifting process could be expedited fast and without any trouble. The resident added, “Breathing issues continue especially for senior citizens and children.”

All industries in the Mahul region have incorporated the changes directed by the environment department as stated by the state environment minister Aditya Thackeray. Even then, firms at Mahul-Trombay area are said to be responsible for high air pollution for the past two years posing a health risk for local residents. Activities such as logistic services, storing oil, gas, and chemical items, and oil companies releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during loading, storage and unloading of hazardous chemicals, have led to high air pollution.

Industrial-scale firms with aerial chemical wastes like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), Aegis Logistics Ltd (ALL), and SeaLord Containers Limited (SLCL, a subsidiary of ALL), had all agreed to a series of measures proposed by the state environment department during a meeting in February, when an action plan was proposed. Some of these measures included N2 (nitrogen) blanketing, bottom-filling of trucks to ensure liquid does not spill out, providing a parking area to avoid the congestion of vehicles, developing a green belt, and traffic permissions to use the eastern freeway during non-peak hours for smoother movement and curb spillage. The blanketing by N2 is a method of applying nitrogen gas to the vapour space or top layer of a container carrying chemicals to control its composition and reduce oxygen access to curb emission

As per Thackeray, all have agreed to relocate their laboratory which was one of the concerns regarding the increase in air pollution. He further added, “We are working with the traffic department to complete the process of bottom-filling of trucks to ensure zero volatile liquid splashing on roads. Secondly, for the development of the green belt, BMC has been tasked with planting 30,000 saplings in this area by May, and has been directed to procure saplings from their nurseries.”

The author is a student member of Amity center of Happiness