Juhu beach goes through sticky patch

Tourists visiting Juhu beach were in for a shock as thick sticky froth washed ashore from Birla Lane to the food court area on Saturday.

Anand Desai a Juhu resident, said it could be the result of increasing pollution.

"I was shocked to see so much froth on the beach. I do not recall this happening earlier, even during pre-monsoon times. I am deeply concerned about this development as it does not seem natural," he said.
However, experts say that such frothing is a normal phenomenon before the monsoons given the high-speed winds and tides.

"Normally when the dissolved organic matter in the water is high coupled with high-speed winds just before the monsoon, such spume occurs. However, if the froth is foul smelling it is certainly the result of pollution," said Vinay Deshmukh, marine biologist and former chief scientist of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

He said that while he did not know details of the froth at Juhu beach, the reason could be high sewage content in the sea since all the sewage from the Malad pumping station flows into Versova creek, which is next to Juhu.

"Citizens should ideally contact the civic body who can contact expert agencies like NEERI or National Institute of Oceanography to collect samples and carry out a study," he said.

A stall owner from the beach said that while he was on the beach there was no foul smell. "It has been happening for the last two days at noon," he said.