Pune: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench in Pune that it had asked Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) to take measures to avoid garbage burning , particularly at Hadapsar industrial dumping site in the city. The NGT’s principal bench had taken suo motu cognizance of a news item mentioning that around 200 families, all residents of Magarpatta City, have been gagging on air that has been rendered thick by garbage burning in the neighbouring Hadapsar area and Hadapsar industrial area. It had directed PMC and MPCB to file their responses for the same.
The board, in its reply to the tribunal, stated that PMC and PCB need to take suitable measures to avoid garbage burning and fire incidents in their respective areas. “The news item indicates violation of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016; and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,” said the bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Vijay Kulkarni, making PCB a respondent in the case. In accordance with this, the corporation and cantonment board, upon receiving notices from the pollution control body, stated their respective action plans to tackle the issue throughout their jurisdictions in an affidavit submitted by the MPCB on Wednesday.
The Hadapsar-Mundhwa and Dhole-Patil Road office have been asked to conduct regular investigations at four spots and fine offenders. Besides, Hadapsar police station have been told to restrict access to areas where garbage burning has occurred to avoid future incidents. In their long-term action plan, the corporation issued a letter to SWaCH to stop open segregation of waste and not burn any garbage alongside roads or canals.
“A roadmap has been created to eliminate all garbage vulnerable points across the city. PMC is in the process of receiving administrative sanction for increasing the fine from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000. A new solid waste management plant of 300 tonnes per day capacity is to be introduced in PCB land parcel on 8 acres,” stated the head of solid waste management, Sandip Kadam, in a letter to the pollution board.
The cantonment board has entered into an agreement with the PMC with regards to installation of a 100 MTP mixed waste processing plant, including design, supply, construction and collection and treatment of leachate in Hadapsar Pune for 15 years. The board is also going to provide for 6 CCTV cameras at the site to monitor incidents of fire. “It has been stated in the letter under reference that the burning/illegal dumping of unscientifically solid waste in the industrial area, caused nuisance of air pollution.
This has been totally misunderstood by complainants from Magarpatta area,” the cantonment board said..
