Thane creek polluted beyond belief, experts urge caution

Water samples recently collected from areas behind Kanjurmarg dumping ground and Bhandup Pumping station were found to be highly polluted Moreover dead fish were spotted in some areas Experts fear that if nothing is done it could seriously harm biodiversityOn January 25 water samples from these areas were collected As per the report the pollution level found was seven times higher than permissible It pointed out that the level of total dissolved solids TDS was extremely high in all samplesNandakumar Pawar head of NGO Shri Ekvira Aai PratishthanEnvironmentalist Nandakumar Pawar head of NGO Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishthan said ldquoThe BOD Biochemical oxygen demand level is supposed to be 30 mgL to be at a safe standard This was found to be at 78 mgL It ranges between 20005000 mgL for effluent discharge point however the results show the sample had over 24000 mgL This is highly dangerous for flora and faunardquoThe NGOs have called for a highlevel scientific probe and immediate corrective measures to restore the quality of water in the creek ldquoSerious scientific investigation is required on priority This will help reveal the factors responsible for the decline of a once flourishing Thane creekrdquo Pawar saidA letter to CMPawar has highlighted the fishing nightmare at Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Chief Conservator of Forest Mangroves Cell Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB Collector Mumbai Suburban and the Wetlands Grievance CommitteeNatConnect director B N Kumar tweeted to the chief minister and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray describing the situation as serious since the fishing community is being deprived of its source of incomeBoth Pawar and Kumar sent separate emails to the CM and the high courtappointed Wetland CommitteeThe letter states that Thane creek Thane to Vashi and the inland water bodies once were the most fertile fishing areas There were different varieties of fish species available there at any given point in time However thats not the case anymore The livelihood of several villages such as Bhandup village Nahur Mulund Kanjurmarg Vikhroli Kopri Diva Airoli Vitava etc depends on fishing in these areasPawar alleged that fishing in Thane creek and the vicinity has been impacted badly from 2000 especially after 2008 ldquoHundreds of traditional fishermen and inland artisan fishermen have been deprived of their traditional trade Sadly the government of Maharashtra and the Fisheries Department do not have any policy for traditional fishermen of Maharashtra There is no data available on themrdquo Pawar saidEffluents sewage to blameAccording to the environmentalist there are three major factors responsible for the drastic decline in fishing activities One among them is effluents leachate being drained into the Thane creek from dumping groundsSpeaking to midday Pawar said ldquoThere are three municipal solid waste disposal sites that have been set up on the coast of Thane creek near mangroves and they fall under CRZ1 status areas mdash the Kopri dumping ground Kanjurmarg dumping ground and Deonar dumping ground Often untreated chemical effluents leachate are drained into the Thane creek These hazardous effluents then spread across the Thane creek and water bodies in the vicinity during high tide Regular instances of death of the fish species have been witnessed in these areas due to the pollution and other factorsrdquoThe NGO also claimed that most of the city sewage that is generated in cities is being drained into the creek directly without any scientific treatment One of the drainage systems open drains is connected to the creek directly through nullahsThe NGO also claims that the sewage treatment plants are not operating to their full capacity and there is no detail of scientific treatment being done in the sewage treatment plantsldquoDue to continuous inflow of citys sewage untreated freshwater into Thane Creek the salinity has been lost to a great extent permanently The fish species that survive and prosper in saline water never turn up in and around Thane creek anymorerdquo Pawar added