Mumbai News: Govandi’s Biomedical Waste Plant To Be Relocated To Panvel By September 2025 After Global Study Exposes Toxic Health Hazards

Mumbai, August 28: The long-standing concerns of Govandi residents about the Deonar Biomedical Waste Treatment Plant have now been validated in an international peer-reviewed journal, bringing global attention to a crisis that locals have raised for years.

International Study Exposes Toxic Pollution

A study by Dr. Tridibesh Dey of Aarhus Universitet, Denmark, published in Science, Technology & Human Values, documents how the facility—burning over 3,500 kg of plastic-rich hospital waste daily—is poisoning one of Mumbai’s most marginalized neighborhoods. Despite official claims of “controlled burning,” the research shows that the plant routinely releases toxic smoke and chemicals into the air.

Health Impact: TB And Respiratory Illnesses Worsen

These emissions, the study notes, compound already high tuberculosis and respiratory illness rates documented earlier by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Dr. Dey describes Govandi as a “toxic sacrifice zone,” where the poor are forced to shoulder the city’s biomedical waste burden.

Residents Demand Relocation Of Plant

Local activist Faiyaz Shaikh, cited in the study, welcomed the global spotlight. “Now the world knows our reality. Govandi is choking, and this plant must be relocated,” he said, echoing the deep frustration of residents who have endured decades of hazardous living conditions.

COVID-19 Pandemic Made Pollution Worse

The facility, run by Enviroclean, became a flashpoint during the COVID-19 pandemic when enormous volumes of disposable masks, gloves, and protective gear were incinerated. Residents vividly recall thick black smoke spreading across Baiganwadi, Shivaji Nagar, and adjoining settlements, enveloping homes, schools, and parks.

Marginalised Communities Bear The Burden

For many families—Dalits, fisherfolk, and migrant workers from northern India—the pollution is part of daily survival in one of Mumbai’s few affordable localities.

Regulators Failed To Act Despite Complaints

In 2019, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) recommended shutting down the plant after investigating repeated complaints. However, Enviroclean secured a stay order from the Bombay High Court, insisting it was the city’s only biomedical waste disposal facility.

While officials promised relocation and issued notices, deadlines repeatedly shifted. Even after a 2020 MPCB report claimed safety upgrades, residents maintained that smoke and dust continued to pollute their homes.

Relocation To Panvel Underway

Now, change is finally underway. Following sustained protests and a Bombay High Court directive, the Govandi biomedical waste plant is being relocated. A new facility is under development at Jambhivali in Panvel, Raigad district, with land already allotted and environmental clearance pending.

Also Watch:

Relocation Expected By September 2025

Once approved, installation of the new incinerator is expected to take about a year, with relocation likely completed by September 2025. The MPCB is supervising the move, aiming to end decades of toxic exposure for Govandi’s residents.