PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Sept 10 : For the last two days commuters travelling on the Marine Drive along Domuhani ( meeting point of river Subernarekha and Kharkai) in Sonari are greatly inconvenienced as the municipal wastes have spilled on to the road from the waste dumping yard.
Foul smell and air pollution which causes environmental hazard have witnessed a rise in that stretch of the Marine Drive.
The daily municipal wastes collected from different houses in areas that fall under the command of JNAC is dumped at the dumping yard.
This practice is going on for the last one year.
But, the situation aggravated since Monday as the wastes had spilled on to the road prompting the civic body to put up barricades.
” We are aware of the situation which was caused due to dumping of wastes at that site by Mango Notified Area Committee ( MNAC). The site is only meant for dumping wastes accumulated from the JNAC command area. We have taken up the issue with MNAC, ” said Ravi Bharti, city manager of JNAC.
A rough estimate suggests that areas under JNAC generate daily waste of over 250 tonnes while MNAC generates daily waste of over 150 tonnes.
Notably, the much-talked-about Khairbani waste disposal project in the outskirts of the steel city failed to take off due to land related disputes.
So the vacant land along the Marine Drive in Sonari was the only option left with JNAC for dumping domestic wastes collected daily from different areas.
The proposed plant at around 35-acre land in Khairbani was expected to deliver state-of-the-art solid waste treatment and scientific landfill solutions.
Municipal wastes collected from different points were supposed to be processed at the treatment plant to generate biogas and produce fertilisers and construction bricks. But, the project was facing hindrances due to protests by local tribals.
Meanwhile, the Adityapur-based regional office of Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board ( JSPCB) has taken notice of it.
” We have sought explanations from JNAC on the spillover of garbages and other municipal wastes at Sonari which is causing environmental hazards. Reply from JNAC is awaited, ” said a JSPCB Official.
Residents and daily commuters complain of air pollution, foul smell and dust while negotiating through that stretch.
” Our life has turned hell as smokes always come out of the dumpyard affecting the residents. Though recently we took this matter to the JNAC but to no avail, ” said Arindam Sen,a resident of Swarn Vihar, an apartment located close to the municipal waste dump yard spread in over 20 acres of land.
