BJP urges Fadnavis to probe if smog from Rohit Pawar’s sugar factory led to air crash

BJP Yuva Morcha’s Pune district president, Vaibhav Solankar, has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding an investigation into the alleged polluting smog from a sugar factory owned by Rohit Pawar, an MLA of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, located 17 km away from the Baramati airstrip, which allegedly caused low visibility and led to the crash of an aircraft carrying Ajit Pawar.

In his letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP Yuva Morcha leader Solankar has demanded an immediate joint inspection by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Meteorological Department, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the local administration, aviation experts and environmental scientists, to check if Rohit Pawar’s sugar factory at Shethfal Gade village, complied with mandated emission limits.

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The development came a day after Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar demanded an investigation supervised by a committee chaired by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, to probe the January 28 air crash which killed late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, at the Baramati airstrip.

Significantly, Rohit Pawar also said he met Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal recently and shared all information about Ajit Pawar’s air crash with him. “It is our effort to ensure justice for Ajit Pawar. I gave information about Dada’s air crash to Kejriwal. After Kejriwal, I will meet leaders like Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav soon,” Rohit Pawar said.

Sharing the details of his letter with media persons on Saturday, BJP leader Solankar demanded that visibility reports from the Meteorological Department, DGCA and local administration on the day of the tragic air crash be made public. If any violation of the law, environmental violation, or safety hazard by Rohit Pawar’s sugar factory is found, immediate punitive and legal action should be taken, Solankar demanded, adding that transparency should be maintained by publishing the investigation report within a fixed time frame of 30 days.

“Local citizens have been experiencing respiratory diseases, eye irritation and skin complaints. This is also affecting agriculture. Was visibility low due to smoke in the area on the day of the accident? Was artificial smog created due to industrial emissions? This needs to be scientifically investigated. I challenge Rohit Pawar to give a presentation on whether the smoke from the factory is a hindrance to airport operations,” Solankar said.

According to Solankar, though Rohit Pawar’s sugar factory at Shethfal Gade village is 17 km from where the air crash which killed the late Ajit Pawar on January 28 took place, smoke can travel depending on wind speed, direction and humidity.

“Although the distance (of Rohit Pawar’s sugar factory from Baramati airport where Ajit Pawar’s aircraft crashed) is 17 km, it can technically have an impact in certain situations. Landing an aircraft needs a clear view of the runway. If the wind blows smog or smoke in the direction of the airport, this could hamper visibility and prove to be an obstacle to land aircraft,” Solankar said.

“Dense smoke makes runway lights or markings difficult to see, which can delay landings or require aircraft to be diverted. Also, ash particles in smoke can be harmful to aircraft engines in the long run, although the amount is low at 17 km. In short, 17 km is not a very long distance for an aircraft. If the weather is bad or if the wind blows from the factory towards the airport, then visibility can definitely be an issue,” Solankar said.

“Usually, this smoke can easily spread up to 10 km to 15 km, but its ultrafine particles can travel much further with the wind. This smoke contains ash particles and carbon dioxide, which can cause respiratory problems, asthma and eye irritation. Ash particles accumulate on the leaves of crops, hindering the photosynthesis process, which stunts the growth of crops. The sulphur and nitrogen oxides in the smoke can mix with rainwater and cause acid rain,” Solankar said.

Solankar said that in the morning, the ambient temperature is low. “At such a time, when the hot smoke from the factory comes into contact with cold air, ‘smog’ is formed, which is a mix of smoke and fog. If there is a morning fog of smoke and ash from the factory, particles get trapped in this fog. This creates a thick grey layer near the ground due to which polluted air does not rise and remains near the ground. This reduces visibility drastically,” Solankar said.