In Uttan, residents try to move a mountain

They approached the NGT to relocate the dumping ground, which has seen 26 fires in past 5 years

- Shreya Jachak

MUMBAI: Mahfuz Shaikh, imam of a mosque in Uttan, a coastal town north of Mumbai in Thane district, shakes his head in despair. Devotees have been skipping prayers at the mosque, and attendance among children for daily Quran readings has dipped sharply. The air is too toxic and it's making residents, especially children, very sick.

The looming problem is the garbage dumping ground in Uttan, which has seeped into and ruined almost every aspect of life in this quiet town. In the last five years, between January 2020 and December 2024, there have been 26 fires here, which roughly translates into residents inhaling toxic smoke for an average five days every month, for more than half a year, according to residents who have moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to get the dumping ground relocated.