Amid protest state govt cancels plan to set up garbage depot in Punawale

The government has directed the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to find another place in the twin city for the project.

Amidst protest by residents of Punawale and Pimpri Chinchwad Cooperative Societies Federation (PCCSF) members, the state government during the ongoing assembly session on Monday announced the decision to cancel the proposed garbage depot at Punawale.

The solid waste management plant at Punawale was proposed at 26 hectares in Punawale in 2008. Around 22.8 hectares of the proposed project was owned by the forest department and rest by private owners. However, residents of Punawale and surrounding areas staged multiple demonstrations since last few months to protest against the plan. (Representative Photo)

The government has directed the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to find another place in the twin city for the project.

The solid waste management plant at Punawale was proposed at 26 hectares in Punawale in 2008. Around 22.8 hectares of the proposed project was owned by the forest department and rest by private owners. However, residents of Punawale and surrounding areas staged multiple demonstrations since last few months to protest against the plan.

Ashwini Jagtap, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Assembly from Chinchwad constituency had raised the issue at the state assembly. Minister of Industries Uday Samant while responding on behalf of the government said, “The forest department has rejected a land that was offered to them in Chandrapur. Since the forest department has not given us the land at Punawale, it is not possible to set up a waste management plant there. The administration will now find another place in the city for the proposed waste management plant. We have considered the demand of citizens as population of the area has increased in the last few years and many establishments, including schools, have come up in the area.”

Samant said that the administration followed rules while trying to finalise a deal with the forest department and the intention was only to create a waste management facility for citizens considering the growing population. Jagtap had alleged violation of several rules while finalising the project.

PCMC had paid ₹3.5 crore to the forest department and promised to provide an alternative 22 hectares at Chandrapur. However, the forest officials rejected the land offered at Mulshi and Chandrapur and the administration has decided to cancel the plan at the proposed site in Punawale.

Earlier, the civic body had stated that the administration will spend around ₹9 crore to purchase land offered to the forest department in Chandrapur.

Due to the presence of Hinjewadi IT Park nearby, Punawale and surrounding areas have witnessed rapid growth. The population of the area around the proposed site increased up to 1 lakh from around 10,000 in 2008, said residents.

Sachin Londe, vice-chairman, PCCSF, said, “It is a success for Punawale residents. We thank MLA Jagtap for raising the issue faced by citizens. The decision to set up the plant in the vicinity was unjustified because of the rising number of people residing in the neighbourhood.”