Jogeshwari residents suffer due to sand-blasting at WR workshop

Mumbai: Residents of the Saraswati Baug area in Jogeshwari East, who have homes facing the nearby railway tracks, have been complaining of the tremendous noise and air pollution from a workshop in close proximity to their buildings. The workshop is on the Western Railway (WR) premises, and is allegedly used by WR for sand-blasting heavy construction materials.

Residents told HT that ever since the workshop came up near their homes, their lives have been hell. Giridhar Shenoy, a resident from one of the housing societies, said that the sand-blasting began in December 2022. “Our requests to them to stop have all fallen on deaf ears,” he said. “It is torturous for all of us, especially the senior citizens in the area.” The noise pollution is continuous, and the sand and dust pollution have led to people getting skin allergies.

Following the residents’ complaints to the environment department, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on December 22, 2022 sent a letter to the additional general manager of WR with a copy to the residents. “You are requested to instruct the concerned contractor to take effective steps to minimise the noise pollution in that residential area,” said the letter, a copy of which is with HT. “Sand-blasting and painting activities shall be carried out in a closed area.”

The letter further asks WR whether the work is temporary or will go on permanently, and adds, “You are requested to submit your say/Action Taken Report to this office at the earliest, failing which you will be recommended for necessary action.” Four months after the letter, the sand-blasting is still on.

Shenoy said that in the past there were railway quarters on the land, which were demolished. “Now they carry these huge pillars there and sand-blast them,” he said. “Flats facing the workshop have to keep their windows shut all day. Despite that, the amount of dust that comes in is tremendous.”

Alpana Deshmukh, a senior citizen, said that she was prone to dust allergies but they were under control. “The sand pollution has aggravated my problem, and I am now on medication,” she said. “While our kitchen window has good ventilation, I am forced to keep the windows shut all the time due to the constant sand-blasting.”

The noise pollution too has been disturbing senior citizens and students alike. Amol Datye, a mechanical engineering student from a nearby housing society, said, “The decibel level from the sand-blasting is so high that I absolutely cannot focus and study peacefully. There are momentary periods of silence but the noise begins again within seconds. This has been immensely frustrating. I come home from college, thinking I’ll get some peace. But right now, my college seems more peaceful than home.”

HT reached out to Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer, WR, who said he would look into the matter and get back but did not comment further.