MUMBAI: Mumbai’s historic Shivaji Park will turn into a grassy maidan, to contain the massive dust pollution around this large open space in the heart of the island city. At least, that’s the plan, according to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB).
On Monday, the board said would undertake an elaborate experiment to cultivate grass to hold the soil in place, preventing it from being swept up by the wind, causing respiratory and other problems for citizens in the area.
As a first step, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will identify a species of grass compatible with the environment but one whose roots are long enough to hold the soil in place. In the meantime, the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) will conduct research on the type of fertiliser and the quantity needed to make the soil cultivable.
“The process will be carried out by the BMC, while the MPCB will oversee it. We hope the experiment will be a success,” said Siddhesh Kadam, chairperson, MPCB. “If it does succeed, we will implement it in all the grounds.”
According to the MPCB’s timeline, grassy patches will be created in a month and based on the results, a plantation drive will be carried out across the park, barring the cricket pitches. The BMC will then submit a report to the MPCB by April end.
In addition, a sewage treatment plant will be set up specifically for Shivaji Park, to supply grey water for the lawn. Tall plants of native species will be planted along the periphery of the park, to contain the wind-blown soil.
This experiment is being undertaken after multiple complaints made by the Dadar residents. However, residents are not satisfied with the solution, claiming it is part of a 2021 beautification project that has been resurrected.
“Grass plantation was part of an earlier beautification project but it is not a solution to the air pollution problem as the frequent political rallies conducted at the park will destroy the grass and we will be back to square one,” said Prakash Belwade, a member of the Shivaji Park Residents’ Association, who attended the meeting at MPCB. “Building a sewage treatment plant here could prove hazardous if a leak occurs. There are many places of worship here and using recycled water is against our spiritual beliefs,” Belwade added.
Chetan Kamble, another resident, said, “Although the plan looks good on paper, there are concerns about its feasibility based on past failures. Attempts to plant grass have not worked before due to the sheer number of footfalls on the ground.”
Early last year, the BMC had asked IIT-B to offer suggestions on how to tackle dust pollution at Shivaji Park. The report submitted by the institute stated that the ground holds three to four inches of loose red soil, three to five inches of compact red soil, and sandy black soil under that. Replacing the red soil would mean finding an alternative that would allow rain water to percolate into the ground water. Another solution would be to set up wind shelter belts, fences and screens to cut wind speeds. A third alternative would be adding calcium chloride (CaCl2), a chemical compound used to control dust, but it could have adverse effects on health.