The stench affects people in a dozen residential quarters of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) adjoining the dock besides seven private residential buildings. ``The problem has become worse over the last few years after the frequency of trucks transporting out the fish has reduced,'' said the president of Colaba-Cuffe Parade Citizens' Group, Dr P Navin Kumar.

Earlier trucks used to carry away the fish waste every four hours in a day. Pointing out that this disrupted the traffic on the busy Shahid Bhagat Singh Road the state government called halt to the convoy of trucks which are now allowed to ply only after 8.30 pm.

``We have requested the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) to find any other immediate solution to the problem, or else we may soon have to permanently clip our noses,'' said Kumar.

Theport authorities, too, are concerned over the stink, considering the fact that their housing colony shares a common wall with the dock. ``The problem is particularly bad during night time when the trucks take away the fish waste. So nauseating is the stink that we have to keep the windows shut for 45 minutes. Monsoon is a welcome relief since fishing activities are reduced considerably,'' said the wife of a senior port trust officer.

On June 17, MbPT authorities had submitted a proposal to the state government. ``We received a number of complaints from the Colaba residents about the fish waste despite transporting it in covered trucks,'' said MbPT Deputy Chief Engineer B R Kadam. In his letter to the Environment Department he had sought environmental clearance for composting of fish waste and garbage on the vacant, reclaimed non-residential area.

The port authorities have proposed digging up a pit at the far end of the dock for the purpose of vermiculture. According to Kadam, the environmental clearanceis absolutely necessary since the Coastal Regulations Zone (CRZ) covers the dock area and any kind of activity, even lighting of a bonfire by picnickers, needs a permission.

However, the fisherfolk are not too concerned about Colaba residents' `sensitive noses.' ``Sassoon Dock is older than most of the residential colonies that have sprouted near it now. The residents should understand that docks will always smell of fish. There is no escape,'' said D R Nakhwa, Joint Manager of Karanja Machchimar Society, a cooperative society of fishermen. He informed that the smell is mainly the result of peeling and drying of export quality prawns at the docks.

``Even we have to bear with the stink, but then do you want the 1500 boats to stop fishing just because of the stink? Let the government come out with a good solution. Then we shall see,'' Nakhwa stated.

The Chairman of MbPT, A K Mago was not available for comment since he was out of station.