Garbage disposal: Villagers set December 31 deadline for PMC

“The civic body has been asked to find supporting sites for garbage dumping. Over 80 abandoned stone quarries would be considered for the purpose.

Villagers have decided to withdraw their ongoing agitation till the end of this year,” said a leader, who attended the meeting. For a week, the villagers have been denying entry of trucks carrying waste from Pune into their areas to dump garbage.

They have been opposing dumping of garbage in their areas citing health hazards.

It is noteworthy that villagers had in February protested in a similar way. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had mediated successfully and sought the civic body of Pune two more months to find a suitable solution.

Civic authorities said garbage lifting from the city would resume on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, complaints have been pouring in from residents about the unlifted garbage. “Our housing society has nine flats and garbage from all houses is accumulating outside the compound wall. It is stinking now and attracting flies. We have small children in our society and we are worried about their health,” said Priya Phadnis, a resident of Ganesh Nagar in Dhayari area.