<p>Navi Mumbai: The noisy quarrying spewing toxic stone dust into the air right behind the Tata Cancer Hospital at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai is illegal, read the information procured through the Right To Information (RTI) Act.</p><p>"The quarrying with immunity is bound to adversely impact the upcoming Kharghar-Turbhe tunnel and lead to landslides as the hill soil has become loose due to continued activity irrespective of the monsoon," a non-profit organisation and environment watchdog, NatConnect Foundation, said.</p><p>After green activists raised concerns, NatConnect director BN Kumar sought information on the status of the quarries. </p>.Powai Lake neglect: NGT orders joint inspection, serves notices to state govt, BMC, SWA.<p><strong>Email to CM Fadnavis</strong></p><p>Earlier, Kharghar Hill and Wetland forum convenor Jyoti Nadkarni and Kumar wrote an email to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis drawing their attention against “the reckless and relentless quarrying” behind the hospital, which is located close to the upcoming Kharghar-Turbhe tunnel.</p><p>Quickly responding to the concern, the CM asked Raigad district collector to look into the issue. Following this, Kumar recently filed an application under the RTI Act seeking an update on the CMO email.</p><p>The activists questioned the authorities’ for allowing the blasting of the hills which results in dangerous dust clouds spreading into the Tata Hospital area as well as the residential colonies from Sectors 30 to 35 and beyond.</p><p>Kumar pointed out the healthcare has expensive and advanced cancer care equipment for which dust is an enemy. Worrying out the potential health risk, he said, "It is unimaginable to have dust particles in the air when cancer patients get treated here."</p>.Dangerous quarrying behind cancer hospital in Kharghar, greens cry foul.<p><strong>"No permissions given for stone quarry"</strong></p><p>The collectorate in turn forwarded the request to Panvel Tahsildar under whose jurisdiction Kharghar comes.</p><p>The public information officer from Panvel tahsil categorically stated that there were no permissions given for any stone quarry on the Kharghar Hill behind the Tata Hospital.</p><p>Regarding Kumar's concern over pollution, the PIO advised the activist to approach the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.</p><p><strong>More details</strong></p><p>It is astonishing that no official worth his name appears to be bothered about the quarrying and crushing that has been taking place in broad daylight, Nadkarni lamented. Dump trucks carrying the stone chips keep zooming in and out and it is beyond anyone’s comprehension as to how this loot and violations are being allowed, she said.</p><p>Kumar recalled that the director of the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) had some time ago written to the government complaining against the quarries. The activity was briefly halted, to be resumed with a vengeance, he said.</p>.'Stop effluents from flowing into water bodies': says NGT as TN report blames Karnataka industries for pollution.<p>“Sometimes the hills become invisible due to the heavy dust clouds,” Nadkarni said and pointed out: “Mind you, there is a gram panchayat school close to the hills.”</p><p>The blast sites are contiguous to the iconic Pandavkada waterfalls which the forest department develop as an eco-tourism spot. Moreover, the government is building the Kharghar-Turbhe link road with a tunnel in the hill which is bound to get weakened due to the quarrying, Nadkarni said.</p><p>This is no rocket science, Kumar said, as “we have seen landslides in the past at Irshlawadi and the Parsik Hills”.</p><p>The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has already ruled that environmental clearance is a must for quarries, the activists pointed out and wondered as to how the Kharghar quarries are allowed.</p><p>Kumar called for a thorough environment impact assessment before such quarrying is permitted.</p>
<p>Navi Mumbai: The noisy quarrying spewing toxic stone dust into the air right behind the Tata Cancer Hospital at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai is illegal, read the information procured through the Right To Information (RTI) Act.</p><p>"The quarrying with immunity is bound to adversely impact the upcoming Kharghar-Turbhe tunnel and lead to landslides as the hill soil has become loose due to continued activity irrespective of the monsoon," a non-profit organisation and environment watchdog, NatConnect Foundation, said.</p><p>After green activists raised concerns, NatConnect director BN Kumar sought information on the status of the quarries. </p>.Powai Lake neglect: NGT orders joint inspection, serves notices to state govt, BMC, SWA.<p><strong>Email to CM Fadnavis</strong></p><p>Earlier, Kharghar Hill and Wetland forum convenor Jyoti Nadkarni and Kumar wrote an email to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis drawing their attention against “the reckless and relentless quarrying” behind the hospital, which is located close to the upcoming Kharghar-Turbhe tunnel.</p><p>Quickly responding to the concern, the CM asked Raigad district collector to look into the issue. Following this, Kumar recently filed an application under the RTI Act seeking an update on the CMO email.</p><p>The activists questioned the authorities’ for allowing the blasting of the hills which results in dangerous dust clouds spreading into the Tata Hospital area as well as the residential colonies from Sectors 30 to 35 and beyond.</p><p>Kumar pointed out the healthcare has expensive and advanced cancer care equipment for which dust is an enemy. Worrying out the potential health risk, he said, "It is unimaginable to have dust particles in the air when cancer patients get treated here."</p>.Dangerous quarrying behind cancer hospital in Kharghar, greens cry foul.<p><strong>"No permissions given for stone quarry"</strong></p><p>The collectorate in turn forwarded the request to Panvel Tahsildar under whose jurisdiction Kharghar comes.</p><p>The public information officer from Panvel tahsil categorically stated that there were no permissions given for any stone quarry on the Kharghar Hill behind the Tata Hospital.</p><p>Regarding Kumar's concern over pollution, the PIO advised the activist to approach the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.</p><p><strong>More details</strong></p><p>It is astonishing that no official worth his name appears to be bothered about the quarrying and crushing that has been taking place in broad daylight, Nadkarni lamented. Dump trucks carrying the stone chips keep zooming in and out and it is beyond anyone’s comprehension as to how this loot and violations are being allowed, she said.</p><p>Kumar recalled that the director of the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) had some time ago written to the government complaining against the quarries. The activity was briefly halted, to be resumed with a vengeance, he said.</p>.'Stop effluents from flowing into water bodies': says NGT as TN report blames Karnataka industries for pollution.<p>“Sometimes the hills become invisible due to the heavy dust clouds,” Nadkarni said and pointed out: “Mind you, there is a gram panchayat school close to the hills.”</p><p>The blast sites are contiguous to the iconic Pandavkada waterfalls which the forest department develop as an eco-tourism spot. Moreover, the government is building the Kharghar-Turbhe link road with a tunnel in the hill which is bound to get weakened due to the quarrying, Nadkarni said.</p><p>This is no rocket science, Kumar said, as “we have seen landslides in the past at Irshlawadi and the Parsik Hills”.</p><p>The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has already ruled that environmental clearance is a must for quarries, the activists pointed out and wondered as to how the Kharghar quarries are allowed.</p><p>Kumar called for a thorough environment impact assessment before such quarrying is permitted.</p>