Environmental Monitoring of Industrial pollution:
At Muthia a village in GIDC Naroda, Ahmedabad SEP along with CSC and Health Forum, initiated a pilot study of impact of industrial pollution on air, water, land and health of human and livestock. Based on this a photo exhibition was developed and it was taken at various forums to portray the real cost of industrial pollution, that the village is paying. SEP supported local CBO in taking legal action by providing strong evidences. Due to this industries were held responsible and industry was asked to stop dumping of solid waste and releasing liquid waste.
Later in year 2005 SEP in partnership with Concept Biotech initiated project ‘Clean Muthia Project’ funded by Black Smith, a US based NGO. As part of this project 33,000 ton toxic waste was cleaned up from the village opens and farming lands. This was transferred to authorized landfill sites. Vermitechnology is being used to treat the highly polluted village open lands.
Inspired by the success of this project, the same agency funded another project “MULTISTAKE HOLDERS DISCUSSION GROUP”. This project aims to facilitate public-government collaborative efforts towards cleaning up toxic industrial sites along with the identification of more issues, problems, challenges and priority information gap. Based on learnings from Muthia Project, the group is doing a survey, follow up and strategy design for Khari cut canal, Ankleshwar (Amlakhadi and other site), River Mini (Baroda). This compromises of officials from GPCB, CPCB, GIDC, local university, NGO and representative from Blacksmith. The group will meet at the site, evaluate the problem and will derive an appropriate action strategy for the site. Two such meetings, one at Muthia and one at Kharicut canal is already done.