Garbage stir ends on pledge to stop dumping

“The stir was called off after the PMC agreed to our demand of stopping dumping of garbage. We had demanded that the PMC stop dumping garbage in the next three months,but the civic body sought more time and assured that it would be done in seven months,” said Sanjay Harpale,deputy sarpanch of Phursungi.

The decision was taken after the PMC gave a written assurance to the villagers in a meeting called by district collector Chandrakant Dalvi.

Mayor Rajlaxmi Bhosale said the civic body has formulated both long-term and short-term plans to resolve the issue permanently. She said the PMC will adopt the two villages and carry out its development. The proposal is to be cleared in the next general body.

The PMC will search for land on a war footing to set up waste processing plants,she said,adding the entire project plan will be carried out expeditiously. A committee has been formed. Two officers from the chief minister’s office,the district collector,the municipal commissioner,MPs,MLAs and members of the gram panchayats of the villages concerned will become its members.

Till then,the PMC will strictly implement the plan of segregating the garbage at source and a special officer will be appointed to implement it. A review of this will be conducted every month.

The city transport utility has deputed 50 drivers to lift the city’s garbage. “These drivers will continue working with the PMC till such time they need them to help remove the city garbage,” said D A Pardeshi,PMPML spokesperson.