Limit horse movement, curb Matheran pollution: Report
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PM10 is responsible for severe lung infections and congestion. PM2.5, which is smaller than 2.5 micrometers, is considered the most hazardous air pollutant. It can be deposited in lungs, causing respiratory problems and other health issues.
The report attributed the source of the air pollution in these three regions to aerosolized dried dung particles, dust generation from unpaved roads, and ammonia and methane volatilization during dung composition.
For water quality, researchers collected samples from Charlotte Lake near Dashkriya Shade and four other areas. The report highlighted severe contamination of water sources, with levels of turbidity, E. coli, nitrates, phosphates, and heavy metals like lead exceeding safe limits. These indicators pointed to direct faecal pollution, nutrient overload and potential health risks.
"The convergence of nutrient enrichment, microbial loading, and toxic heavy metal presence signifies a cumulative ecological degradation scenario.
This not only threatens local biodiversity, especially in streams and forest riparian zones, but also undermines soil stability and water quality across the landscape," said the report.
This can cause algal blooms and lack of access to safe water as well, the report said, and added that high salinity, along with elevated carbon, in the soil could cause significant ecological stress.
Soil health was degrading in areas with high horse traffic, and urgent measures should be taken to stop the contamination of water bodies at the hill station, the report added.
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The team suggested detailed waste management and limiting the movement of horses to less than 300 a day to ensure less stress on the environment.
In Oct, the National Green Tribunal bench in Pune heard an application by a resident, stating that Matheran faced serious environmental degradation due to the excessive use of horses for tourism and goods transportation.
The bench then constituted a joint committee of representatives from the ministry of environment, forests and climate change, Matheran municipal council and MPCB to assess the damage and suggest recuperation methods.
MPCB sought assistance from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Raigad, the state's umbrella university for engineering colleges, to make an elaborate assessment of the damage.
An expert team from BATU and Nagesh Karajagi Orchid College of Engineering and Technology in Solapur, conducted the first phase of the assessment during the pre-monsoon period.
The first phase involved systematic sampling of air, water and soil across various locations. The team is now preparing to carry out the second phase of the assessment during the monsoon season.
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