Mumbai’s Ascend International students, staff can now breathe easy, civic body starts clearing huge garbage pile

The piece of land, which is sandwiched between the school campus in BKC’s F-Block and Mithi River, has been lying abandoned for many years. Waste heaps, mainly construction debris, started piling on the ground just before the school resumed offline classes in the new academic year. Monsoon made the situation worse. Ever since the foul smell from the dumpyard and the swarm of flies have been causing an unhygienic learning environment for the school students.

The school authorities were literally “shocked” to see the huge pile of garbage on the ground nearby when the school reopened for regular classes, post pandemic. “It has been our priority to resolve the situation which posed a health issue for the students and the staff. We took up the issue with the authorities concerned and submitted a formal complaint,” an official with the school told The Indian Express off the record. However, the school administration has not officially responded to The Indian Express.

The H-East ward office of the BMC began clearing the garbage Wednesday upon receiving the school’s complaint.

“We have slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on the contractor who was found dumping the debris on the plot as there is no clarity on the owner of the plot. But the BMC on its own has begun the work of cleaning the area considering the health risk to the school students,” said Anant Patil, an official from the H-East ward.

Patil said that a major chunk of the garbage is construction debris. “But this activity seems to be going on for a while and gradually people started dumping garbage too,” he added.