Residents fume over inhaling toxic gases from jewellery units

For over a decade, the Bhuleshwar Residents Association has been fighting a legal battle and petitioning agencies to get the goldsmit units shifted out of the residential zone, but claim that the BMC and other authorities have been turning a deaf ear. They claim the number of factories has increased and is still growing despite the evident hazards of the pollution caused by the chemicals used in the units.

Mumbai : Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazaar is well known for jewellery making and is also the capital market of Mumbai dealing with crores of rupees everyday. But its residents are inhaling toxic gas every day. Small height chimneys on almost every floor of buildings are engaged in melting, polishing and refining gold and silver ornaments, goldsmithy units located in the area has threatening life for every one.

The residents of the area are worried that the goldsmith units are going to reduce their lifespan and adversely affect their future generation, as they begin their days with chemical fumes entering their houses from chimneys from right outside the windows of their houses. The condition is so bad that they are unable to open their windows.

Sameer Zaveeri, a resident of Zaveri Bazaar, remarked they are battling every day for their life. “We are not against the businesses but there are many illegal goldsmith units over here. Zaveri Bazaar is not somewhere on the corner of the earth but its just a few kilometres away from Mantrayala, the Police Commissioner’s office and BMC headquarters, still the illegal business activity is going on smoothly. It seems the officers are working hand in glove with this gold smith unit owners.”

Zaveeri further revealed that gases are so dangerous that even if he sit in one room of the house with a closed door and widows, still he has to move from one room to another to inhale oxygen and feel better.

For over a decade, the Bhuleshwar Residents Association has been fighting a legal battle and petitioning agencies to get the units shifted out of the residential zone, but claim that the BMC and other government authorities have been turning a deaf ear. The number of factories has increased and is still growing despite the evident hazards of the pollution caused by the chemicals (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia and hydrochloric acid, among others) used in the units. Vijay Shah, active member of Bhuleshwar Residents Association said in 2001 a petition has been filed in Bombay High Court and from then the fight has began against the factories after a gas cylinder blast in a refining factory in Phophalwadi killed 24 people, but so far nothing has happened and they are running their businesses freely.

He further alleged currently 3,500 gold smith units are operating in the residential zone (R1) of Bhuleswar without any licence endangering the lives of people and also workers who have come from Kolkata for work.