2 weeks Ago By Shashank Didmishe
Pune: Twenty residents of Varvand in Daund taluka staged a protest outside the office of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) at Wakdewadi in Pune, seeking relief from air pollution caused by coal ash which comes from a dairy processing plant in their village. The plant has the capacity to produce 3 lakh litres of milk powder a day and its boiler has a coal processing capacity of 10 lakh tonnes an hour. The plant is owned by Mahanand Dairy and operated by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
Villagers complain that the facility emits a large amount of coal ash which enters all homes and mainly leads to health issues. The villagers had complained to MPCB in Dec 2024, but the regulatory authority did not take any action until this Feb. It issued a showcause notice to the unit a few days after residents held a protest outside the plant.
MPCB regional officer JS Salunkhe had then said in the notice that it had been observed the plant lacked proper air pollution control systems and it resulted in brown smoke. Also, coal was stored on open land in an unscientific manner and the effluent treatment plant was not operating properly. On Thursday, Salunkhe told TOI, "We spoke to the villagers again and assured them that MPCB will continue its course of action.
Thereafter, they stopped their agitation." Sangram Divekar, who has been leading the protests, said, "Around 100 families are affected. We had waited for over a month for MPCB to take action against the plant before declaring another protest for Thursday.
We left our village at 8am to reach Pune." Protesters spoke to TOI about common colds, health issues among children and throat irritation arising from the coal at the plant. "I am faced with severe skin irritation since the last few months.
It gets aggravated after I sweep the floors," said senior citizen Lakshmi Shinde, who lives in the village. Farmer Keshav Bhagat experienced severe inflammation in his vocal cords recently and had to be treated in a Pune hospital. "My voice has still not returned to normal," he said.
"We cannot dry washed clothes outside since these become black within hours. Layers of soot cover the floors and furniture even if we keep all windows and doors closed," said another woman..
