Thane Township Residents Protest Against Upcoming Ready Mix Plants, ET RealEstate
MUMBAI: Residents of Haware Citi in Thane’s Ghodbunder Road, a township housing 7,000 people across 28 towers, have sounded the alarm over a hazardous development in their once-green and serene neighbourhood.
Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd is setting up two ready-mix cement (RMC) plants just a few hundred metres from their residential complex. This area not only includes schools within the premises but also lies in close proximity to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and adivasi villages.
Sanctioned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in May 2023, the location of this plant — meant for the construction of a 6.09 km twin tube road tunnel between Thane and Borivli — has sparked outrage among residents due to serious health and environmental concerns.
A Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) official overseeing the RMC plant told TOI: “The tunnel project goes through an eco-sensitive zone where setting up an RMC plant is prohibited by law. However, these RMC plants are not in the eco-sensitive zone.”
He added that the land for the two RMC plants was provided by MMRDA. “Since these are captive RMC plants and not commercial ones, there are no restrictions on distance from human habitation. But detailed guidelines are laid down on establishing and operating the plant. At present MPCB has only given permission to establish and the plants are in the process of being installed. It will take about 1-2 months to install. Only if they meet all criteria will permission be granted to operate,” he said.
The MPCB official said MMRDA had provided the land, but MMRDA officials clarified that as per the contract agreement the contractor has to find the land and fulfil all requirements to establish a casting yard. The contractor has taken land from the Swami Samarth Trust on which the RMC plant is being installed. This plot is close to the project site but outside the ESZ.
Megha Engineering did not respond to TOI’s queries on email.
The plant’s construction has brought a constant hum of machinery and a veil of dust to the air. Residents claim that the green cover in the area has been reduced, too, due to the construction of the RMC plant. “They’ve cleared out all the greenery and cut down all the trees since they started levelling the place,” said Shradha Raorane, a healthcare professional and resident of Haware Citi for five years.
Bidyut Bose, living in Haware Citi for seven years, said: “We are not against progress, but how can you risk the lives of over 12,000 residents living in multiple townships and housing complexes within 300 to 500 metres distance from the plant? Once it starts operating, flying ash and cement particles are bound to float in the air no matter how much water you sprinkle.”
Residents fear that the RMC plant will impact not only their health but also the flora and fauna of the nearby SGNP, located about 200 metres away. “The Kasarwadavli waterfall stream, a natural water body flowing through the area, has been blocked due to the levelling. They have placed pipes to drain the water, so the land won’t get water seeping in anymore but will flow to the khadi,” said Raorane.
In March, the Haware Citi Co-op Housing Federation, along with over 10 other housing complexes in the plant’s vicinity — Trinity Hills, KIPL Morya, Komoyo, Trikuta Tower, Titanium, Hill View, and several others — wrote letters to the Thane Municipal Corporation. Their request was clear: relocate the plant to safeguard their health, environment, and community.
Megha Engineering contacted Haware society in May, requesting an NOC to process TMC’s approval. In response, the society issued a letter demanding proof of all clearances received including project plans, sanction letters and environmental approvals, to initiate any further discussions.
Residents have collected around 300 signatures and plan to hold a protest and awareness drive on Sunday at the Haware Citi Chowk.
