PCMC’s first garbage dump in Moshi is said to run out of space in the next two-three years. (Express photo)
Even as the state government on Tuesday said it has put in place a solid waste management policy, it has emerged that the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has been waiting for a more than a year now to get bylaws for waste management approved from the government.
Not just this, the government, for the past eight years has not given its nod to the civic body to acquire 61acre land for setting up a new garbage dump yard.
“We had framed bylaws concerning solid waste management based on Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000. The bylaws were sent to the state government for approval a year-and-a-half ago. We are awaiting a go-ahead from the government,” Sanjay Kulkarni, executive engineer, PCMC, said on Wednesday.
PCMC Additional Municipal Commissioner Dilip Gawde said the bylaws are required for deciding on the policy on segregation, collection, disposal and other related matters. “Since the state government has not approved our bylaws so far, we have implemented the bylaws of the state government,” said Gawde.
The PCMC is also awaiting the approval to acquire 61 acres from the state government for setting up a second garbage depot at Poonawalle. PCMC’s first garbage dump yard is at Moshi. “In next two-three years, the Moshi garbage depot, which is based on 81 acre will run out of space. We need to set up a second garbage depot,” he said.
Kulkarni said the proposal for setting up the second garbage depot was sent in 2010. “The proposal was sent by the Town Planning Department. It envisaged acquiring 61 acre that is in possession of the state government. The Town Planning Department is awaiting a green signal,” he said.
The PCMC collects 850 metric tonnes of garbage every day. The waste is then deposited at the Moshi garbage depot. “Processing of the garbage happens at the depot. Dry and wet waste is segregated and converted to mechanical composting and vermicomposting. And plastic is converted into fuel. We also have plan to convert waste into energy,” he said.
SC nod to policy
State Principal Secretary Nitin Kareer, who heads the Urban Development Department, said the state government on Wednesday placed the solid waste management policy before the Supreme Court. “The court has said OK to our policy. The policy was framed in April 2017,” Kareer said. Last week, the Supreme Court banned construction activity in three states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh that does not have a solid waste management policy. The other two states are Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.