Mumbai: Green panel docks biomedical plant polluting Govandi

The National Green Tribunal NGT Western Zone Bench Pune has imposed a fine of Rs 1422 lakh on SMS Envoclean Pvt Ltd Mumbairsquos only biomedical waste treatment plant located in Govandi for environmental damage The order follows a petition filed by the Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society highlighting pollution and severe health hazards affecting residents of the areaLocals however feel that the penalty amount is too low as compared to their ldquoyears of sufferingrdquo and the environmental damage they estimated They also seek immediate shifting of the facility from their backyardDespite several closure notices issued by the pollution board violations of environmental standards have persisted PicsSayyed Sameer AbediWhat NGT statedThe residents raised longstanding concerns about the plantrsquos operations which allegedly contribute to respiratory and other health issues In response to the plea the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB quantified the environmental damage compensation EDC at Rs 1422 lakhPanelrsquos findingsThe residents of Govandi and Deonar alleged that the high prevalence of tuberculosis TB among thousands of residents was worsened by pollution from a biomedical waste treatment facility The locals claimed they were subjected to toxic smoke daily adding to their frustration over the governmentrsquos failure to relocate the facilityMohammed Rafiq a resident of the area with his childInspections conducted by the MPCB in 2018 and 2022 identified multiple violations including inadequate systems to control dioxins and furans improper biomedical waste segregation and effluent generation exceeding permissible limits Despite several closure notices issued by the MPCB these violations persisted contributing to severe air pollution and posing significant health risks to the local populationThe inspection committee also found that workers handling biomedical waste were not provided with adequate personal protective equipment PPE such as N95 masks rubber gloves and safety goggles According to the actiontaken report only workers at the incinerator were equipped with appropriate PPE while others were given basic disposable masks and plastic gloves insufficient for their hazardous work environmentFurther investigations revealed that SMS Envoclean had been sending treated glass bottles categorised as bluecategory biomedical waste BMW to a recycling facility named Ms Piyush Plastic in Chakan Pune However the MPCB had not authorised Ms Piyush Plastic to recycle glass bottles Residentsrsquo woesIn 2023 the Bombay High Court directed the state and SMS Envoclean to relocate their facility within two years With only one year left residents remain sceptical about progress Initially the facility was to shift to Khalapur but it failed to secure environmental clearance The relocation was then planned for the BorivliPatalganga area but this remains pendingldquoWhen we filed an RTI we were told the relocation is lsquoin processrsquo but no details were provided As per the timeline the facility is to move by September 2025 However therersquos no visible work or equipment shifting making us feel the relocation will be delayed againrdquo said Faiyaz Alam Shaikh a Shivaji Nagar resident and president of the New Sangam Welfare SocietyShaikh also highlighted compensation issues ldquoThe NGT said an expert committee would decide compensation Based on our calculations the damage is around Rs 16 crore including air quality monitoring costs but R14 lakh is insufficient for what Deonar Govandi residents have sufferedrdquoNafees Ansari another resident said ldquoTheir failure to secure clearance reflects negligence Theyrsquove been fined Rs 1422 lakh for environmental damage but are we just guinea pigs Why isnrsquot the government expediting the relocation to an industrial areardquoTanveer Usmani another resident said ldquoWe appeal for a comprehensive health study in our area With a dumping ground and SMS Envoclean next door it feels like our lives donrsquot matter Despite six years of petitions appeals and court battles nothing has changed and we continue tosuffer dailyrdquoSMS Envoclean speaksAmit Nilawar cofounder and director of SMS Envoclean Pvt Ltd told midday that they plan to oppose the penalty imposed by the NGT calling it unjust ldquoDuring the COVID19 pandemic we were overwhelmed with used PPE kits meant for incineration Our incinerators were not designed to handle plastics causing higher emissions Despite this we fulfilled our duty during the crisis Spare parts were hard to obtain yet we managed to safely dispose of hazardous waste To now impose a penalty for environmental damage feels unfair We will file our reply and strongly oppose thisrdquo Regarding the facility relocation Nilawar added ldquoAfter years of local opposition wersquore committed to moving Wersquove already paid R16 crore for land at BorivliPatalganga but the land hasnrsquot been allotted yetrdquoRs 16crAmount paid to acquire land for new facility