No interruption in garbage flow till May 2

On Thursday,the villagers had launched the agitation alleging that the civic body was not taking precautions to curb fires at the dumping site and that it was disposing of garbage in an unscientific manner posing a health hazard for people in the vicinity.

Deputy sarpanch of Phursungi,Sanjay Harpale,said,“We held talks with the collector,who said a special meeting will be convened immediately after the Lok Sabha polls. Therefore,we decided to suspend our agitation and hunger strike,but we have not withdrawn the agitation. Further steps will be decided after the meeting.”

Dilip Mehta of Kachra Hatao Samiti,said,“We want the civic body to segregate the dry and wet garbage before sending it to processing units. We want the civic body to give in writing a time-bound programme as soon as possible.”

The relieved PMC has a tough task for the next two days. “The villagers have relented,otherwise the problem would have turned worse. We have started collecting garbage from bins across the city afternoon onwards,” Suresh Jagtap,head of PMC’s solid waste management department said. “Now,removing the garbage heaps is a daunting task. We will have to work day and night and it will take about a day-and-a-half to clear it. We will employ additional staff and a number of dumpers and carriers,” he added.

Meanwhile,to get rid of the stench,people in most parts of the city had started burning the garbage heaps around the bins,thereby increasing pollution levels.

MPCB under fire
MUMBAI: Officials of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) held talks with the villagers of Uruli Devachi and Phursungi on Tuesday. The furious villagers grilled the MPCB authorities asking them as to why they did not take stern action against the PMC on the issue and also demanded,in writing,the course of action from the MPCB. A delegation of villagers even went to the MPCB office and forced the officials to type a letter addressed to the PMC,on what precautions the civic body needs to undertake.

MPCB to civic body
* Segregate the garbage within the city and send them directly to processing units.
* Garbage should be processed on a daily basis.
* It should be carried in a concealed vehicle to the processing units.
* The dirty water and leachate coming out of garbage should be collected and processed.