Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Environmental and Health
Impact Statement:
K‐EAST WARD, Mumbai
Mr. Harshal A. Ruikar, 2nd Year MPH, T.I.S.S.
Introduction:
K‐East ward (picture 1) is one of the 24 administrative wards of Greater Mumbai. It comes
under the Zone 3 of the administrative division of the metropolis of Mumbai. It is the 5th
biggest ward1 and constitutes important infrastructure in the form of a singular Special
Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mumbai, Residential Zones, 2 airports, industries and an urban river
system.
Mumbai was built on an archipelago of seven sister‐islands, almost 150 years ago. The K‐East
ward of Mumbai is essentially a piece of reclaimed land2. Situated on the Western Railway‐
line and having a strategic location, this is one of the most rapidly growing areas of Mumbai.
I have been residing in this area for over 20 years now.
To understand the health and environmental impact on the community residing in this area,
I found it essential to gather primary as well as secondary data from various official as well
as unofficial sources. Following were the methods employed for data collection:
Methods used for Data Collection:
1. For collecting data and getting an insight into the existent situation of the ward,
interviews were conducted with the following Ward Officers3:
a. Chairperson of K‐East Ward‐ Mr. Manohar Panchal
b. Medical Health Officer‐ Mr. P.S. Khullar
c. Ward Councillor‐ Sheikh Sabirabi (Telephonic)
d. Senior Inspector‐ Mr. Pradeep Suryavanshi (Telephonic)
2. Information provided on the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai website
(MCGM)4
3. Visiting the different areas of K‐East ward: Observations and Photographing
Geographical Scope:
Boundaries
North Saariput Nagar
South Milan Subway, Santa Cruz
East Mithi River
West Western Railway line
Kindly refer to the map attached at the end for understanding the geographic scope of K‐
East ward (picture 1).
Problems and Issues:
In the following section, we will discuss the problem areas in the ward with respect to the
environmental impact as well as the health impact on the population.
AIR QUALITY:
Being the biggest metropolis in India, Mumbai holds up a huge load of traffic in and out of
the city. K‐East ward has 1 of the 2 major express highways of the city, the Western Express
Highway. In addition to the vehicular pollution, the ward also has to endure the emissions
from Jet‐fuel as it contains one of the busiest Airports in India (Chhatrapati Shivaji
International and Domestic Airport).
Bandra is the nearest Air Quality Inspection Station to K‐East Ward. Following are the values
recorded for 3 pollutants in ambient air on 5th of July 2010.
Ambient Air Quality Monitored at Bandra on 05‐07‐20105
Actual
Standard
Gases recorded Source Type of risk Toxicity level
(цg/m3)
(цg/m3)
Industrial and Chronic
SO2 80 52 Vehicle Respiratory Moderate
emission diseases
Developmental Requiring
Vehicles,
NOX 80 134 (high) disruption, B12 regulatory
Pharmaceuticals
deficiency action
Industrial and Requires
Asthma,
SPM 100 168 (high) vehicular regulatory
cancers, CVDs
emissions action
0‐9 parts Requires
Lethal in acute
CO per Not measured Vehicles regulatory
exposures
million action
The most vulnerable population to exposure to these gases is
i. Drivers,
ii. Traffic Police,
iii. Those residents of buildings close to the roads and
iv. Slum dwellers that live in the vicinity of small scale industries
Comments:
1. For reasons inconceivable, there are 4 air quality inspection stations at Chembur and
Sion each. While other areas of Mumbai like Kandivali, Andheri and South Mumbai
have none. Andheri has a high concentration of industries and hence it is imperative
that air quality is kept under check in this area.
2. As is evident, carbon monoxide levels are not measured in the ambient air. Instead,
individual vehicles are tested for Carbon Monoxide, Hydro carbons, Non‐methane
Hydrocarbons and reactive hydrocarbons on a quarterly basis. If the driver is found
driving a vehicle without PUC (Pollution Under Check) certificate (Picture 2), an
amount of Rs. 300 for 2 wheelers and Rs. 1000 for 4 wheelers is charged as a fine.
But, CO levels indoors (auto‐garages, servicing centres, etc) should also be
monitored.
3. Also, levels of different size of suspended particulate matter should be measured
separately.
4. Masks should be provided to the traffic police who stand on the roads for over 5
hours a day.
5. Public at large must be made aware about the harmful effect of these gases and
advocacy campaigns should be run through mass media and posters.
6. The Transport Department of Maharashtra State has made good progress in
keeping a check on pollution. Traffic police are vigilant when it comes to PUC
certification. All the new vehicles and 90% of all the old vehicles have PUC in
Mumbai. 6
Water Supply
Ground Water:
• Mumbai comes under the ‘Bhatsol Watershed’.7 Being a coastal area which receives a
good‐to‐heavy rainfall annually, surface water is preferred over ground water for day‐to‐
day use.
• The Greater Mumbai District Report 2009 reports Ground Water Quality as “suitable to
drink but high concentrations of pollutants at many places”8
• The pH of ground water is slightly alkaline due to dumping of industrial waste and
fertilizers.
• The report also mentions that there is still a small percentage of population in Andheri
using dugwells and borewells.8
Samples tested in 2003 8:
Parameters DL (mg/L) MPL (mg/L) Samples with Samples with
conc. < DL conc. In DL‐MPL
Total Dissolved 500 2000 5 Nil
Solids
TH 300 600 4 1
Ca 75 200 5 Nil
Mg 30 100 3 2
Cl 250 1000 5 Nil
SO4 200 400 5 Nil
NO3 45 No relaxation 5 Nil
Fe 1.0 1.5 5 Nil
DL‐ Desirable Limit, MPL‐ Maximum Permissible Limit
There were no ground water samples that exceeded the MPL. Even though the report was
released in 2009‐10, the above mentioned reported values are those recorded in 2003.
Piped Water Supply:
• K‐East ward, like the rest of Mumbai receives water supply from Lakes Vaitarna, Bhatsa
and Vihar. The water is processed at on‐site water treatment plants and supplied to the
ward via ‘Marol Pipe‐line’.
• The pipes are made up of Iron which also contains traces of lead. But water sample
reports for piped water were not made available.
• According to the officials approximately 95% of population of K‐East ward receive piped
water either through indoor or public tap.
Comments:
1. Piped water supply is often regulated during summers. In the year 2008‐09, due
to low levels of water in the supply lakes, water was made available for only an
hour per day in slum areas. While some areas received water through tankers.
2. Despite many public warnings for boiling the drinking water during the
monsoon season, there is a high incidence of water‐borne diseases in the area.
Thus, it is highly dubious that safe water practices are followed by the
population at large.
River Preservation:
MITHI RIVER:
• Mithi river is the western boundary of K‐East Ward. This short river was a result of land
reclamation in the 19th century. It flows from Powai‐Vihar lake to the Bandra creek over
the distance of 13.75 km. Although small, it plays a very important part in the drainage
system of Mumbai. Most of the industrial and domestic waste from the Western
Suburbs is carried by this river to the sea. During the 20th century, the river basin was
encroached upon by illegal construction (slums) and by the construction of the Airport.
Over the years Mithi River’s ecological role was neglected.
• The consequence was heavy flooding of Mumbai suburbs in the monsoon season since
1990‐91. The river basin has been reduced to a mere 55% of the original due to various
constructions according to the study conducted by MCGM. Flooding has become an
annual phenomenon at K‐East ward during monsoon. But what really attracted the
attention was the torrential downpour on Mumbai on 26th July, 2005. The calamity
claimed hundreds of victims.
• Many people live in slums which are dangerously close to the river (picture 3). Some
people also fish in these waters on a commercial basis. The fish are heavily laden with
hazardous toxicants and their consumption leads to various health conditions in the
population. This is a disaster in waiting which needs immediate attention from the
authorities.
• Staying close to a water body has also lead to increasing incidence of vector‐born and
water‐borne diseases.
• Studies are underway to calculate the amount of toxicants released in the waters of
Mithi. Also, considering the problems faced by the city during monsoon, the MMRDA
has proposed a plan to rejuvenate the river by expanding its basin and providing an
alternative route from underground.
SEWAGE LINES:
There are 17 major and 30 minor sewage lines (nallas) in K‐East ward, which ultimately
merge with the Mithi river. Most of these lines are not covered. I observed that the water
pipe‐lines were too close to the sewage lines (picture 4). Slums have typically developed
around these pipe‐lines as it is easy to steal water from these pipes (picture 5).
Many sewage gutters are flooded with solid domestic waste. The MCGM claims that these
gutters are cleaned on a monthly basis by but visual evidence is hard to refute.
Comments:
1. All the waste water from Mithi river flows to Mahim creek. Following is the data
regarding water quality of Mahim creek9. It clearly suggests that the quality is
worsening every year and there is an urgent need to regulate the waste disposal.
2005‐ Good to excellent
2006‐ Good to excellent
2007‐ Bad
2. Importance of Mithi:
Mithi river, although a man‐made, holds a central position in the historical growth of
Mumbai. For a sustainable existence, it is important not to take Mithi for granted and
keep on exploiting it with industrial waste.
Industries:
• K‐East ward witnesses the second most dense concentration of industries in Mumbai.
Industrial regulations are followed by CREP standards. This area becomes important as it
has both Industrial and Residential zones. The health and Environmental threat posed by
the industries is noticeable. Out of the 12 major industries in K‐East ward, the following
2 industries are found to lack ISO – 14001 certification.10
Industrial
ISO – 14001
Industry Scale Effluents ETP Units Provided
certification
Quantity (CMD)
M/s. Franco Equalization Compressed
Indian air agitation,
Pharmaceutical neutralization setting
Small No 7.00
Pvt. Ltd., 20, E tanks,
Moses Rd, Chimney of height 21 m
Andheri (East) provided
M/s. Nivedita
Chemical A‐1, Screen chamber,
Cross road, Medium No 10.00 clarifloculator aeration,
MIDC, Andheri Scrubber provided
(East)
Here, the ETP units provided by the CREP are enumerated in the last column. Both the
companies have applied for ISO certification in the last 2 months.
• Mumbai contributes to 9300 MT of solid waste per day.11 The Industrial waste
contributes to as much as 80% of this value. In the following table, we will discuss
various hazardous wastes produced by the industries present in K‐East ward12.
Hazardous Industrial Chemical Current level Health type of
Sr.
waste source composition of toxicity risk
Enhanced
primary Jewellery Aluminium, Generally non‐
1 Not known
treatment (EPT) industry sulphates hazardous
sludge
cyanide, silver,
Chemical sludge copper, zinc, Lethal,
Metal Industry,
2 from waste lead, mercury, Not known carcinogenic,
Cine‐labs
water treatment arsenic, teragogenic
acetone
3 Spent oil Silk mills Halogens Not known Acute
Pharmaceutical Pharma‐
Trimethoprim,
residue like Industries (Aryl Endocrine
4 Roxithromycine, Not known
expired pharmaceuticals disruptors
Estradiol
medicines, etc LTD.)
Automobile Sodium
Industrial
5 industry, hypochloride, Not known Acute
solvents
garages various acids
Paint
Ink Residues / manufacturing Isopropyl Carcinogenic,
6 Not known
rags industries alcohol chronic
(Camlin)
Electronic Waste 13:
• Andheri is one of the most important commercial hubs in Mumbai. The important
commercial centres in Andheri are:
1. CEPZ
2. MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation)
3. Saki Naka
4. SEEPZ (Santa‐Cruz Electronic Export Processing Zone)
• There are 3 IT parks in K‐East Ward:
1. Technopolis Knowledge Park, Chakala, Andheri
2. Ivory Towers, Marol, MIDC, Andheri
3. Enterprise Centre, Brahmanwada, Andheri
• Recycling and reusing of different parts of electronic items is done in 4 minor areas. The
following processes are done:
1. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) dismantling
2. Extraction of copper wire
3. Yoke core dismantling
4. Plastic grinding
5. Printed Circuit Boards/Printed Wiring Boards‐ surface heating
Chemicals
from Routes of Toxicity Health type of
Sr. Source
electronic exposure level risk
waste
Americium Radiation, Requires
Carcinogen,
1 (Radioactive Smoke alarms ingestion, regulatory
teratogen
substance) inhalation action
Ingestion, Posing
Fluorescent Neurotoxicity,
2 Mercury inhalation, skin substantial
tubes teratogenecity
contact risk
Lead‐acid Inhalation, Soft‐tissue
3 Sulphur Minor
batteries ingestion damage
Requires
Capacitors, Bioaccumulation, Chloracne,
4 PCBs regulatory
transformers ingestion liver damage
action
Posing Pneumonitis,
Ni‐Cd
5 Cadmium Inhalation substantial role in cancer,
batteries
risk lethal
Posing Neurotoxicity,
CRT monitors,
6 Lead Ingestion substantial nephropathy,
PVC material
risk lethal
Thermal
Beryllium Ingestion,
7 interference Moderate Carcinogen
oxide inhalation
material
Requires Multi‐
Equipment
8 PVC Ingestion regulatory systemic
cases
control effects
Comments:
Many a times, these recycling contracts are given to small scale local companies
which are situated in the slums. Regulations and codes of conduct are not
followed due to weak surveillance system. Labour is also cheap. Thus, the people
who are maximally exposed to the hazardous fumes are the workers in these
companies. Also, the slum residents are also at risk of developing cancers and
other systemic disorders. Children and pregnant women are the most vulnerable
to these exposures.
Noise Pollution 14:
• The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board‐ Noise pollution branch, has divided
Maharashtra in 4 zones.
i. Industrial zone
ii. Commercial zone
iii. Residential zone
iv. Silence zones
• These zones have been allowed a maximum permissible limit of noise during day and
night hours.
• K‐East ward is classified as a ‘Commercial Zone’.
• It is the second most noise polluted area in Mumbai. As one can see from the table, the
levels of noise are more than what is permissible throughout the day.
Values Recorded on 13th December 2009:
Day time values Permissible at Night time values Permissible at
Levels of Noise*
(6AM‐10PM) Day‐time (10PM‐6AM) Night
Leq 73.3 65 71.1 55
L10 78.5 65 75.9 55
L50 72.4 65 70.4 55
L90 69.0 65 67.4 55
*Levels of noise‐
Leq: Equivalent continuous Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) for a particular duration
L10: The level that were exceeded during 10% of the measuring time in dB(A)
L50: The level that were exceeded during 50% of the measuring time in dB(A)
L90: The level that were exceeded during 90% of the measuring time in dB(A)
Comments:
1. The planning of different zones is really bad. There are no buffer zones between
the industrial or residential areas.
2. As you will see in picture__, the residential buildings are within meters of Airport
Hangers.
3. Different sources of this noise are‐
a. Air craft noise (picture 6)
b. Road traffic noise
c. Construction (picture 7)
d. Industries
4. The potential Health hazards due to noise pollution are‐
a. Chronic fatigue syndrome
b. Lack of concentration
c. Hypertension
d. Hearing loss
Asbestos Exposures:
There are no asbestos related factories or industries in K‐east ward. However, the houses in
slum areas are made up of plastic sheets and asbestos roofs as they are cheaper and last
relatively longer (picture 8). There is no evidence that the prevalence rates of lung diseases
and asbestos related health conditions have increased in these slums. This is a potential
research area.
Violence or Criminal Activities
An area near Mahakali caves is particularly infamous for gang wars and gambling related
businesses. In spite of strong police vigilance, this area is in news for illegal activities.
According to the Sr. Inspector of Andheri branch, the problem exists because of local
support. It is essentially a slum area and many locals are members of various gangs.
Sanitary Considerations
Garbage Disposal
• Mumbai contributes to 9300 MT of solid waste per day11 and only 20% of which is
domestic waste.
• K‐East ward contributes to 6% of the total domestic waste produced by the city.
• There is no separation of solid and liquid waste. All the garbage is collected in Garbage
Boxes provided by the Municipality. These garbage boxes are supposed to be emptied
every 2nd day. But in reality, the garbage trucks do not show up for days altogether.
• Garbage boxes are generally kept by the side of the roads and as one can see in picture
9, they are misused. There is diminished sense of responsibility in the community too.
Many a times, the garbage is thrown in the gutters instead of the garbage boxes.
Toilet Facilities
• The MCGM has provided many public toilet facilities for the slum areas (picture 10).
People are charged a nominal amount ofRs.2 per visit.
• According to the ward officer, almost 50% of the population of K‐east has toilet facility
inside their house.
• Open air defecation still persists in the slum area. Especially young children are made to
sit on the sides of the roads or near the nallahs for this purpose.
Health Facilities
• The total population of K‐East Ward is over 806,360. And taking into account the high
rate of in‐migration, it is expected to reach a million in next 2 years.
• To cater to the health demands of such a huge population, there are no municipal
hospitals. But this is compensated by a large number of private hospitals and
dispensaries.
Municipal Hospitals 0
Municipal Maternity Homes 3
Municipal Dispensaries 10
Municipal Health Posts 11
Private Hospitals 3
Nursing Homes 102
• According to the Medical Health Officer of the ward, health insurance coverage is
estimated at 50% while life insurance coverage is estimated at a healthy 70%.
• Most of the companies provide deductibles to their employees.
• There has been an outbreak of Leptospirosis in 2007 in this area.
• Monsoon season always witnesses an increase in incidence of water and vector‐borne
diseases.
• Fumigation against mosquitoes is done in the slum area but on an irregular basis.
• During the monsoons, chlorine tablets are provided to the locals as an additional
measure to purify water.
SU
UMMAR
RY:
In thhe following table, I havee tried to givee a snap‐sho
ot view of K‐EEast ward wiith respect to
o various
criteeria of evaluaation consideered for this study.
SR. CRITERIA O
OF EVALUATTION COMMENTTS
1 Air
1.1 Po
ollution Stricter norrms required
d for industrie
es
1.2 O
Odour Better gaarbage dispossal required
2 Waater
2.1 Piped water Most of the p
M opulation en
njoys the ben
nefit
Pictu
ure 3: Slums dwellings ve
ery close to M
Mithi River ((Near the Airrport)
Picture 4
4: Proximity of water pip
pes and sew
wage lines
Picture
e 5: Slums haave develope
ed near the pipe‐lines ass it is easy to
o steal waterr from the pipes for
domestic purpose
Piccture 6: Proxximity of residential areaa and airportt hangers, giiving rise to noise polluttion
Picture
e 7: Construcction of flyovvers and Me
etro line
Picture 8
8: Slum dwelllings‐ asbesstos and plasstic usage
Picture 9: Gaarbage bins‐‐ overflowingg
Picturre 10: Public toilets
Pictu
ure 11: Sanittation
Piccture 12: Fish
hing boat in the Mithi Riiver