Journalism of Courage
In a bid to bring about a solution to the garbage crisis in Uruli Devachi and Phursunhi,the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is pondering over creating ward-wise garbage processing units in all the 14 wards of the city,through which energy would also be created.
The PMC says that this option is easier than setting up huge garbage processing plants on the outskirts of the city,as suitable land is either not available or difficult to procure. Right now,nearly 1,000 tonnes of garbage are collected from across the city and dumped at the Uruli Devachi garbage depot,which the locals have been opposing due to various health hazards to their health.
Hence,we are mulling over creating ward-level garbage processing units in all the fourteen wards of the city. This will automatically solve the problem of garbage dumping at Uruli Devachi. If this works out,garbage would be collected and treated within the geographical area of a ward.
Additional commissioner M S Devnikar seconded this view,saying,The steps that the PMC is going to take regarding the garbage issue also includes creation of decentralised garbage treatment plants in each of the ward. This will be a very positive move and solve the existing problems pertaining to garbage.
We need to decentralise the garbage dumping,which will take off a major load of garbage at the depot. Now is the time to do something on a war-footing about garbage and creating small capacity processing units will be a good move, Suresh Jagtap,head of PMCs solid waste department,said.
The PMC has in fact started moving in that direction with two such projects are going to start in the near future,the first in Model Colony. Another similar project is to come up in Wadgaon Sheri. Jyotsna Sardeshpande,corporator from Model Colony ward,has taken an initiative in this regard. She said,Under this project,we are going to collect the garbage in the ward daily and then process it to generate biogas out of it. The project will come into operation from June. The capacity of the plant will be to process about seven tonnes of garbage on a daily basis. PMC will be using bio-methanisation technique developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre for this purpose. Once this happens,the PMC would be able to save a lot of money as far as the transportation of garbage is concerned. Besides this,energy generated through this exercise will be utilised for illuminating streetlights, she said. Sachin Bhagat,corporator from Wadgaon Sheri ward,said,The PMC has proposed a garbage processing unit in my ward,which will take off soon. The energy created through this will be utilised for agricultural purposes in the ward.
