Dadar's Shivaji Park dust crisis persists after four years of failed fixes

Dust pollution at Shivaji Park in Dadar continues to affect residents’ health. The issue has persisted for over four years, with no lasting solution in place. Authorities have yet to act on long-term measures despite repeated complaints from locals. In 2021, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board ordered the BMC to create green patches at Shivaji Park to curb dust. The civic body planted grass the following monsoon, but the effort failed to take root. No alternative permanent fix has since been introduced.

The BMC initially considered removing a 9-inch layer of red soil, the main source of dust. However, it abandoned the plan after IIT Bombay advised against it. The institute proposed two other methods: suppressing the red soil and mixing it with specialised sand. It also suggested growing grass to stabilise the ground, but this option is now deemed unworkable.

For now, the BMC resorts to daily water sprinkling to ease the problem. Residents, frustrated by years of inaction, have repeatedly urged the authorities for a permanent fix. The BMC has not implemented any lasting solution despite the 2021 directive. Daily water sprinkling offers only short-term relief. Locals continue to face respiratory issues as the dust problem remains unresolved.