Societies violating norms to be issued notices by PMC

Pune: PMC is all set to issue notices this week to housing societies that are bulk generators (producing 100 kg and more) of wet garbage and not complying by the rules of disposing wet garbage on the premises itself. Notices will be issued to those societies with a deadline failing which they will be fined and the PMC will stop lifting their wet garbage.

Solid Waste Management Department Head Dnyaneshwar Molak said, “We have been issuing notices to the societies in the past, but not everyone is complying with them. We are again issuing notices where we will mention a deadline for these societies and if the societies fail to do so, they will be fined Rs 15,000 and later the PMC will stop lifting their wet garbage.”

He said there are 545 societies out of which only 260 dispose of the wet garbage in the society itself and the remaining 285 are not following the rules. On an average, the PMC collects more than 1,000 tonnes of garbage every day, out which 70 per cent is bio-degradable and 20 per cent of the garbage is mixed.

Suchismita Pai of SWaCH, an organization that works with the PMC, agrees with the Solid Waste Management Department decision of charging a fine. She said, “There are societies that are not complying with the rules and I think the PMC has to take a strict decision.” She said it is important to create awareness regarding sanitation.

Maithili Manakwad, Secretary of Wanowrie Residents Forum (WRF) said, “It is the need of the hour that societies that are bulk generators should start disposing of wet garbage in the society itself. I am glad that the PMC is planning to take strict measures.” She said, “It is very easy to blame the administration as we expect that the corporation should take care of the waste but that is not the solution. We need to act and comply with the rules.”

A resident of Viman Nagar, Sashikant Dalvi said, “PMC has taken the right decision and societies should abide by the rules. There is enough motivation to follow this rule as the societies that have compost pit, get a five per cent rebate on property tax.” 

Kishori Gadre, former director of Janwani said, “Fining the societies would not be  any solution as there are many societies that are not able to do maintenance of the society, so how will they arrange compost pits? Also, what about the bungalows and slums, do they also need to abide by this? We need to have a complete solution for solid waste management for everyone and just not imposing on societies.”