Take over solid waste management: CIDCO to Panvel civic body

Following the formation of the civic body, the CIDCO has asked it to take over for these areas services such as waste collection and disposal and health services. (Representational image)

The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has asked the newly formed Panvel civic body to take over the solid waste management department by the end of the month, and has threatened to stop waste collection from October 1. In October last year, the Panvel civic body was formed by the state government. It was given jurisdiction over areas that included Kharghar, Kalamboli, Kamothe, New Panvel, Taloja and others, which had been with the CIDCO earlier.

Following the formation of the civic body, the CIDCO has asked it to take over for these areas services such as waste collection and disposal and health services. “A decision was taken by the CIDCO management earlier this year of handing over services to the civic body. We have been following up with it since March. We had stopped waste collection in July for a few days but started again after considering the monsoon season and possibility of epidemic,”said Dr BS Bawaskar, chief health officer of CIDCO.“ It is the responsibility of the civic body to manage waste and health services,” Bawaskar added.

However, corporators from the Panvel civic body said it was not possible to take over the services immediately, stating there were “faults” in the waste collection and disposal system. “The waste collection and disposal is not being carried out properly. Recently, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board issued a prosecution notice to the CIDCO for violating the waste management rules,” said Paresh Thakur, BJP corporator and leader of the house in the civic body.

Thakur claimed this was the reason the CIDCO was in a hurry to hand over charge. “To avoid this, the CIDCO is in such a hurry to hand over the services and forcing us to accept it,” said Thakur.

The BJP leader further said that the services can be taken over if an audit of the existing services is carried out.  “A joint committee of both authorities should be formed for carrying out an assessment of the existing services. The audit will reveal the status of services and shortcomings,” Thakur said.

“Then, either the CIDCO should complete the works of the service or provide funds to the civic body for its completion. The CIDCO has earned a lot of money by selling plots and should provide proper services, in which it has failed so far,” the corporator alleged. Sudhakar Shinde, municipal commissioner of the Panvel civic body, said the general body of the civic body will take a call on it.

“The final decision would be taken by the general body and then we will act on it accordingly,” Shinde said.