Colaba residents, plagued by Sassoon Docks stink for years, gear up for 3rd hearing of PIL

Residents of Colaba filed a PIL against MBPA for improper fish waste treatment at Sassoon Docks. Stench affects health, violating waste management rules.

MUMBAI: Last June, residents of Colaba filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the Mumbai Port Authority (MBPA) for failing to properly treat fish waste and offal generated by vendors at Sassoon Docks, as stipulated in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for solid waste management in Mumbai. The third hearing of the case is scheduled for March 20.

Colaba residents, plagued by Sassoon Docks stink for years, gear up for 3rd hearing of PIL

The pervasive stink of fish waste persists until the early hours of the morning in the area, preventing residents of Colaba and Cuffe Parade from keeping their windows open. Many asthmatic patients have reported worsening symptoms during this time.

Renu Kapoor, a resident of Colaba, pointed out that MBPA was not putting the fish and offal waste into the incinerator on its premises as stipulated by law. “If an area is more than 500 square metres, the owners are supposed to handle the waste themselves,” she said. “The onus is thus on the agencies that MBPA has allowed to operate from its premises and MBPA itself, which should ensure that they keep the place clean.”

Kapoor said the fishmongers were drying the waste in the sun, loading it and sending it to Surat in open trucks. “If we citizens are supposed to segregate our waste, why should MBPA, which comes under the central government, not follow the National Gazette notification that stipulates how an organisation like Sassoon Docks should be treating its fish waste?” she said. “They are not following rules, as the value of the fish waste is way more than the seafood itself.”

Kapoor is the main petitioner in the PIL apart from Colaba residents Ghanshyam Hegde and Atul Zaveri. The PIL highlights MBPA’s failure to implement legislation concerning solid waste disposal, effluents, fish waste transportation and the regulation of fish markets. It also seeks directives regarding the Sassoon Dock Modernisation Project, overseen by the Maharashtra Fishing Development Corporation (MFDC), which has been stalled for years on account of a lack of approval for the revised project cost by the central ministry for ports, shipping, and waterways.

“In recent years, the roads of Colaba, stretching from the gates of Sassoon Dock to the MBPA garden, have been transformed into makeshift fish markets. Fish traders and hawkers occupy these roads as retail spaces, resulting in significant obstruction to traffic,” said Kapoor.

The petition states that fish-cleaning and chopping activities, particularly prawn-shelling, are conducted in open areas and even on roads, creating a filthy and unhygienic environment. The negligence has rendered the air unbreathable for residents and children attending nearby schools such as Colaba Municipal School and Dunne’s Institute. Students have reported vomiting due to the unbearable stench.

‘The open trucks transporting fish waste spill liquid substances onto roads, emitting intolerable odours throughout the neighbourhood,’ says the petition. ‘This liquid waste, categorized as ‘leachate’ under Rule 3 (29) of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, should be contained and transported in leakproof vehicles according to regulations. However, current practices violate these rules, as the trucks are not leakproof, the authorities have failed to take corrective action. Furthermore, melted ice packs used for fish storage during transportation contribute to the foul odour and air pollution.’

‘These violations result in an intolerable public nuisance, making living conditions in the Colaba and Cuffe Parade areas inhospitable, harsh, and conducive to illness, thereby infringing upon the residents’ right to life as guaranteed by the Constitution of India,’ the petition states.

The petitioners have repeatedly alerted statutory authorities and other grievance-redressal forums about the negligence, urging appropriate action by highlighting relevant rules and potential solutions. ‘Although various directives and instructions have been issued on paper, there has been no follow-up action. The authorities have demonstrated complete indifference towards the concerns raised in the petition,’ states the petition.

It was under these circumstances that the petitioners approached the high court last year. The third hearing will come up tomorrow.