A construction site on Juhu Tara Road allegedly discharged sludge onto Juhu beach, raising serious environmental concerns. Marine ecologist Shaunak Modi warned on October 24 that the sediment could harm marine life. He said, "The continuous freshwater influx disrupts the salinity balance that intertidal species rely on to survive."
Sludge from a construction site discharged onto Juhu beach and into the sea. Pics/By Special Arrangement
A construction site on Juhu Tara Road has allegedly been discharging muddy water and sludge directly onto Juhu beach and into the sea for several days raising concerns about marine pollution and potential damage to coastal ecosystemsShaunak Modi marine ecologist director of the Coastal Conservation Foundation and founder of Marine Life of Mumbai flagged the issue in a post on X on October 24 warning that the discharge could harm marine organisms and disrupt the coastal ecosystemSand erosion and mud coverThe discharge has eroded over a foot of beach sand while a large stretch is covered in fine mud The sediment could settle over seabed organisms and reduce water clarity adding to the potential ecological impact The allegations have raised questions about how water and sludge are being handled at the construction site and consequences for Juhursquos coastal habitatBMC registers complaintOn October 24 the BMCrsquos KWest ward office responded to Modirsquos post on X saying the complaint had been registered on the civic bodyrsquos MARG portal ldquoWe have registered your complaint on the MARG portal of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation For further details regarding the action to be taken please visit the portalrdquo the response stated The complaint registration number provided was KW_202600154276Discharge continues on MondayWhen Modi visited Juhu beach late on Monday afternoon he observed water continuing to flow onto the beach allegedly from the construction site suggesting that the discharge had not stopped midday contacted the BMC public relations officer on Monday seeking a response to the alleged discharge and the action taken following the complaint No reply had been received at the time of publicationMarine life at riskModi said the high sediment load in the discharge could smother benthic organisms mdash marine creatures that live on or near the seabed mdash while increasing siltation and turbidity in the water ldquoThis is troubling on its own but it coincides with the season when cephalopods squids octopuses and cuttlefish use beaches in Mumbai as nursery grounds for their eggs The continuous freshwater influx disrupts the salinity balance that intertidal species rely on to surviverdquo Modi saidMarine life found along sandy shores including crabs gastropods and sea anemones could also be affected by large volumes of freshwater entering their habitat he said The discharge of mud could further alter the composition of the shore threatening organisms living in the intertidal zoneMumbairsquos beaches serve as nursery grounds for cephalopods during this season Changes in salinity and increased sedimentation could affect species that depend on relatively stable coastal conditions for survival and reproduction