MPCB Issues Stop-Work Notices to 19 Jeans-Washing Units in Kalyan and Ambernath

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) Kalyan sub-regional office has issued stop-work notices to 19 unauthorised jeans-washing units operating in Pale village and Kumbharli near the Malanggad area. The enforcement action comes amid concerns over the discharge of untreated industrial effluents into natural water channels across rural pockets of Ambernath and Kalyan talukas in Thane district.

According to officials, 16 of the notices were served to facilities in Pale village, while three were issued to units in Kumbharli. These operations are allegedly contributing to the pollution of the Waldhuni river and adjoining streams by discharging wastewater generated during the jeans-washing process without adequate treatment. In certain locations, the untreated effluent was reportedly allowed to soak directly into the ground through pits.

The polluted discharge from these facilities eventually flows into the Waldhuni, Ulhas, and Kalu river systems. The contamination of the Ulhas river is of critical concern because it acts as a primary source of drinking water for multiple cities in Thane district. Unauthorised jeans-washing activity has also been reported within the jurisdiction of Karav gram panchayat in Ambernath taluka, where industrial wastewater is allegedly reaching the Ulhas river.

These jeans-washing units had previously been targeted during a crackdown in Ulhasnagar over similar water pollution concerns. At the time, operators were instructed to either construct effluent treatment facilities or cease operations.

Rather than installing treatment systems, several operators allegedly shifted their facilities into rural pockets of Kalyan, Ambernath, and Murbad talukas, particularly along the stretch extending from Rayate towards Shri Malang Gad. Many of the units operated out of rented premises in isolated locations, rendering them difficult for authorities to track and monitor.

The recent action by the MPCB has raised concern among unit operators and is likely to prompt further scrutiny of other unauthorised jeans-washing operations in the rural belt.