TMC stops dumping in Diva, furious greens seek damages

Environmentalists have alleged that a huge portion of mangroves of Diva, which falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), was destroyed due to the unscientific dumping of municipal solid waste in the creek

Thane: Thane has stopped dumping its garbage in Diva and has shifted to a temporary site in Bhandarli. However, the environmentalists are not happy and say that the move has come too late and that a huge portion of mangroves of Diva has been destroyed due to unscientific dumping.

Thane, India - January 31, 2023: Bhandarli village where the Diva dumping ground is going to be shifted. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) claimed it has completely stopped dumping of waste at Diva dumping ground from today and has shifted its dumping and solid waste management activities to Bhandarli village as transit rearrangement for the time being till the permanent Daigarh solid waste management project is ready. This comes as a major relief for the residents of Diva who have been fighting against the dump yard, in Thane, India, on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

From Tuesday, the garbage trucks from Thane did not go to Diva as the usual routine had been but headed to Bhandarli, where dumping and management of waste will continue at a temporary site.

“There was a longstanding demand to stop dumping at the Diva site. No dumping will happen there anymore from today,” said Abhijeet Bangar, Thane municipal commissioner. “We used to send the waste to Diva for processing and this has been stopped now,” he added.

Thane currently generates 1,039 tons of municipal solid waste daily. Out of this, 624 tons is wet waste, while 390 tons is dry waste including inert waste.

“Few months ago, the civic body had started dumping at an alternative site in Bhandarli. All the dumping vehicles have been diverted to the site there,” said Bangar. The civic body claimed that the site in Bhandarli is also a temporary arrangement till a permanent solid waste management project underway in Daighar is ready.

“Till the Daighar project is ready, the dumping and waste processing will continue in Bhandarli. It will take another two to three months for the first phase of the Daighar waste-to-energy project to begin. While the second phase will be also started in the next few months. With this, the solid waste management will have a permanent solution,” said Bangar.

He said the first phase comprises wet and dry waste segregation, wet waste to composting and dry waste to recycling. The second phase comprises waste to energy in which the waste will be used to generate electricity.

Earlier, environmentalists had alleged that a huge portion of mangroves of Diva, which falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), was destroyed due to the unscientific dumping of municipal solid waste in the creek.

On January 17, Stalin D of Vanashakti had sent letters to the Central Pollution Control Bureau (CPCB), the Maharashtra board, the chief conservator of forests of Mangrove Cell, and the Thane district collector demanding the immediate closure of Diva dumping ground, which was environmentally hazardous.

“Even if they have decided to close the Diva dumping ground, they cannot be exempted from the damage the dumping has caused to the environment. Whatever damage they have done, they will have to compensate for the same. I will be approaching the National Green Tribunal seeking damages in the coming days,” said Stalin D.