Articles by Faiyaz Alam

In September 2023, our citizen-led organisation—Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society—had its first major win when Bombay High Court ordered the removal of a biomedical waste incinerator from Shivaji Nagar in Govandi. We had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in October 2022 seeking immediate action, and the Bombay High Court has ordered that the plant be shifted to an industrial area within two years. Govandi is part of the M-East ward, which is infamous for housing Mumbai’s largest dumping ground and its only biomedical waste incinerator. These factors have contributed to a high incidence of tuberculosis (TB), bronchitis, and other…

For a community to whom open spaces are a luxury, encroachment of our open spaces comes as a big pinch. In the past few months, we have seen two of our vital open spaces getting 'kidnapped'. This has affected our access to these spaces - a public library and a ground. So, on 18th May 2023, we, the residents of Govandi gathered in front of a library at the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Udyan to protest against the encroachment on the open spaces. Govandi is part of the M-East ward, which is one of the poorest and has the lowest Human…

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that I realised that I must join the fight for clean air. As biomedical waste generation increased manifold at health facilities and inside people’s homes, I saw the connection between increasing biomedical waste and the huge quantities of waste being burnt in the incinerator installed in my area. I live in Govandi, where the life expectancy of the people is at an abysmal 39 years on average. The region has a 132-hectare dumping ground, where waste from the entire city is brought. Govandi was one of the worst hit areas during the pandemic due…