The stretch of Marine Drive near Domuhani in Sonari reeks of municipal waste and air pollution which is leading to environmental hazards. Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC), the local urban civic body, is blamed for converting an area at Domuhani along the Marine Drive which also hosts several residential flats and apartments into a waste dumping yard.

The daily 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 few months. Several areas fall under JNAC command including Sakchi, Sonari, Kadma, Baridih, Agrico, Sitaramdera, Bhuiyandih, etc.

A rough estimate suggests that areas under JNAC generate daily waste of over 200 tons.

“Because of heat generation and formation of methane gas the waste catches fire and this results in air pollution and harmful effects on the environment,” pointed out Raja Ghosh, a local environmentalist.

JNAC officials said though they are aware of the environmental hazard caused by the dumping of domestic wastes at that site but they are helpless.

“The Khairbani waste disposal project in the outskirts of 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 us for dumping domestic wastes collected daily from different areas,” said Ravi Bharti, a JNAC official.

The proposed plant at around 35-acres land in Khairbani was expected to deliver state-of-the-art solid-waste treatment and scientific landfill solutions.

Workers deployed by JNAC dump domestic wastes at the dumping site along the Marine Drive in Sonari on Tuesday. Pic by Bhola Prasad

Municipal waste collected from different points was supposed to be processed at the treatment plant to generate biogas and produce fertilizers and construction bricks. But, the project was facing hindrances due to protests by local tribal.

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 dumping of municipal wastes at Sonari which is causing environmental hazards. Reply from JNAC is awaited,” said Suresh Paswan, regional officer of JSPCB talking to The Telegraph Online.

Of late 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 dump yard affecting the residents. Though recently we took this matter to the JNAC but to no avail,” said A K Chatterjee, a resident of Swarn Vihar, an apartment located close to the municipal waste dump yard spread in over 20 acres of land.

Another elderly commuter rued, “Continuous exposure to such mess would definitely affect our health, and it will lead to heart-related ailments.”