Involve CM in Boisar SWM plant, Lokayukta tells govt

The Lokayukta stressed that establishing a solid waste management plant in Tarapur, in Palghar district, is mandatory for public health and environmental protection

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Lokayukta has said various state authorities must stop passing the buck and has directed the state chief secretary to ensure the intervention of the chief minister in setting up a solid waste management (SWM) plant in Boisar in Palghar district.

Involve CM in Boisar SWM plant, Lokayukta tells govt

The Lokayukta, who had last year ordered that a special investigation team (SIT) be set up in this matter, has passed strictures against the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation’s (MIDC), Tarapur Industrial Manufacturers’ Association, district collector and gram panchayat for their failure to make land available for such a plant.

In an order on September 17, Lokayukta Justice VM Kanade said setting up an SWM plant is a statutory requirement and a matter of public importance, not just an individual grievance. The order also states that the government must identify private plots and take steps to acquire them to set up an SWM plant at the earliest.

While issuing the directive to chief secretary Rajesh Kumar, under section 12(1) of the Maharashtra Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayukta Act 1971, the Lokayukta stated, “He shall place my recommendation before the CM and cabinet ministers. They may look into the matter and take an appropriate decision as per the law.”

The order was delivered in a case filed by Dr Subhash Sankhe, secretary, Citizens’ Forum of Boisar, in 2023. Sankhe had alleged that MIDC, the planning body in the region, had not made any arrangement for the disposal of solid waste. MIDC, during the hearing, expressed helplessness in earmarking land for the SWM plant even though the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 make it mandatory to earmark five plots for such plants.

Calling it a violation of the Rules, Sankhe pointed out that solid waste is burnt near roads and its poor disposal is leading to air, soil and water pollution. The Lokayukta has held eight hearings in the last two years, and they were attended by officials from various state agencies.

The Lokayukta stressed that establishing a solid waste management plant in Tarapur, in Palghar district, is mandatory for public health and environmental protection. The authorities must stop stalling and act decisively, including initiating steps for land acquisition, if necessary, he stated.

Sankhe claims that MIDC has failed to ensure that 5% of land in industrial areas is reserved for solid waste disposal. “As per the 2016 Rules, it is mandatory for MIDC to reserve plots for SWM plants, but it is interested in commercial exploitation of the land, instead. It distributed over 2 lakh sqm land to industrial units but failed to allot just 10,000 sqm required for a plant,” he said.

“In 2019, the state government told MIDC it was responsible to put in place basic amenities and allowed it to share local taxes equally with gram panchayats. Despite this, it did not heed our requests,” Sankhe added.

Kunal Khemnar, joint CEO, MIDC, said, “It is the responsibility of the collector and gram panchayat to allocate the land. We had offered one plot from the 10% stock of land meant for open spaces by asking the government to relax the percentage of open space. We have now offered to assist the collector with a financial share for the SWM plant.”