Mumbai: Grass and water to tackle Shivaji Park dust issue

Dadar residents say the dust starts rising around 10.30 am. File pic

The expert committee of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has suggested spraying water and planting grass at Shivaji Park to prevent dust pollution from the soil. The team also asked the BMC for a time extension to study the soil pattern of iconic ground. After receiving complaints from local residents, BMC's G North ward decided to remove a nine-inch-thick layer of soil from the park.

The BMC asked Prof. Virendra Sethi of IIT-B's Environmental Science and Engineering Department to conduct a study; recently, the experts submitted a report. The report states that spraying water twice a day, in the early morning and afternoon, would prevent fine soil particles from rising in the air. Also, developing greenery by planting grass on the ground would alleviate the dust problem, the report suggests.

IIT-B report suggests that planting grass will alleviate the dust problem. File Pic/Ashish Raje

Civic officials said that the planting of grass will be completed in the next six months in a phased manner. "We will start planting grass on patches and will cover the full ground step by step, while spraying water is an ongoing process," a civic official added. Meanwhile, residents of Shivaji Park are not happy with the BMC's decision.

Prakash Belvade said that the civic body should consult the earth science expert of IIT-B. Earlier, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) had asked the BMC to find remedies to the dust pollution issue in the area within 15 days, the deadline for which lapsed on Tuesday. "We are trying to meet MPCB Chairman Siddhesh Kadam regarding the issue. Sprinkling water is not a solution for dust mitigation. BMC used to sprinkle water in the past, but that has not given results," Belwade added.

Shivaji Park is spread over 28 acres and 70 per cent of the ground is covered with soil and a 30 per cent green cover. In 2021, the BMC unloaded around 250 truckloads of soil on the ground for a beautification project. "The dust issue has been on the rise since 2021," a resident said, adding that the problem starts after the monsoon season, after 10 am, and persists through the day.

28 acre
Total area of Shivaji Park