4 days Ago
Residents may be flocking to the fast-developing peri-urban area of Pirangut for buying homes amid relatively greener climes than the city's core zone — but what's greeting them there instead is severely compromised air quality. Today, over 12,000 residents living in Pirangut testify that finding it difficult to breathe has become a daily reality for them. "Every night, the gram panchayat lights a fire on the hill nearby to burn garbage collected from societies.
This has made our lives hell. We wake up to thick, acrid smog and our children are forced to breathe it in on their way to school. Since the societies are in a valley zone, wind and smoke travel far and fast here.
I have been raising this issue with the gram panchayat for years now. However, burning activity has increased in the recent past," said Sushil Pal. Many residents pointed out that although the burning activity is not new, the AQI in the valley has reached an alarming level this year, with continuous fires on the hills.
The health risks associated with breathing such toxic air constantly are huge, Nitin Diwte of Yashwant society said. "Initially, the gram panchayat would not even collect our waste. Now, they collect dry and wet garbage from our societies and burn all the dry waste as they probably have no other way to manage it.
My father is 70 years old; I also have asthma. This air quality is terrible for both of us," the IT engineer told TOI. He added, "On days when the wind is moving in the direction of my society, we are forced to tightly shutter our windows.
Since the burning happens either at night or early in the morning, there is no way to know when it will get worse." Now, Pal has started an online petition in this regard, already garnering over 400 signatures. The petition lists out a number of health risks and appeals to the gram panchayat to"immediately stop the practice of burning trash and find sustainable waste disposal solutions, as well as implement proper waste segregation and disposal methods like composting, recycling, or waste-to-energy solutions".
The petitioners have further appealed for strict penalties to be enforced on unauthorized waste burning to prevent further air pollution; they demand that awareness be raised among residents about the dangers of air pollution, while encouraging eco-friendly waste management practices. "It is deeply alarming and frustrating that the local authorities continue to allow toxic waste burning near our community. The harmful fumes poison our air, water, and land, and the powers-that-be seem indifferent to the devastating impact on both our environment and our well-being.
Such air is not conducive to healthy living not just for those in the prime of their health, but also for children and senior citizens, not to mention those already battling with respiratory issues. We demand immediate action and accountability," said Ritu Virdi, a resident of the area. The societies have decided to collectively file a complaint with the gram panchayat, and reach out to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for urgent remedial solutions.
When contacted, officer in-charge of Pirangut gram panchayat, Pradip Kharmate, refuted that their waste management plant has been shut for the last 10 months, owing to which garbage piled up, and is now "catching fire frequently". "I took charge four months ago. Six months prior to that, the plant was shut for some ongoing work.
We started processing waste again in the last two months. However, a lot of waste accumulated before that. Since it is summer, the accumulated waste has been catching fire — I admit that the air quality has been a problem for the last 8-15 days," Kharmate told TOI.
He further said that a plan has been prepared for proper waste disposal, which has been presented to the Mulshi panchayat samiti, and he is waiting to hear back from them. "We have asked for some funds for proper garbage disposal; I have also asked my staff to check costs with private vendors. The issue will be tackled at the earliest.
My staff and I are facing the problem as well. I am hopeful that the issue will be resolved in 10-15 days," he added. ___________________________ Expert Quote During summers, the air is dry and trash burning makes it more hazardous.
It affects the eyes, causing irritation, and leads to allergic rhinitis and bronchitis. It can act as a trigger for asthmatic patients, too. PM2.
5 and PM10 particles are small enough to get lodged in the lungs and cause long-term respiratory issues. The gram panchayat needs to curb the burning — Dr Namrata Jadhav | Gynaecologist and Pirangut Resident Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with EID Wishes , Messages and quotes !.
