Sewage and floating waste mix with nullah water and get discharged directly into sea from Gazdhar Bandh pumping station in Mumbai, alleges BMC corporator

Mumbai: Sewage and floating waste get mixed with nullah water and are discharged directly into the sea from Gazdhar Bandh pumping station in Khar Danda, resulting in severe water pollution and adversely affecting marine life, alleged Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Chinatamani Niwate, while raising the issue in the BMC House on Tuesday.Niwate further claimed that the pumping station is currently non-operational, but BMC's additional municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar clarified that it is functional.In the BMC House, Niwate said sewage water is discharged directly into sea, along with waste, after flowing through the stormwater drains without undergoing any separation or treatment. This situation gives rise to a host of problems, including fish mortality, adverse effects on fish reproduction, a decline in marine biodiversity, and health risks for the Koli fishing community, Niwate claimed.Other corporators concurred that the livelihood of the fishing community is being adversely affected by the pollution caused due to the discharge of untreated water into the sea.The Gazdhar Bandh pumping station caters to SNDT and main avenue nullah, said a senior civic official, adding: "The contract for operation and maintenance of the trash boom barriers, which is installed on SNDT nullah, ended in Feb, but we had floated the tender much earlier. However, there were issues with the responses to the tender, so we floated the tender again. If we find a suitable bid, we will allot the contract. We will extend the earlier tender and carry out work with the existing contractor."The senior civic official further said: "We are also installing a trash boom downstream of Gazdhar Bandh pumping station out of CSR, which will take care of the floating waste being discharged into the sea. The work will be completed by May. With regard to sewage getting mixed in the stormwater drains, wherever the sewer merges with nullahs, we will tap the sewage lines and divert them. This will ensure that sewage does not get discharged into the sea."