March 31 deadline: Pune civic body conducts meeting with housing societies on waste management

According to officials of the solid waste management department, they are getting a positive response from housing societies

Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC’s) solid waste department has started conducting meetings with housing societies to make them aware of the March 31 deadline to install garbage treatment plant to process or treat their wet garbage within the premises.

Last month, PMC had given an ultimatum to establishments which are generating a bulk of more than 100 kg garage per day to recycle wet waste otherwise pay a heavy fine and warned that the corporation will not lift the garbage. (HT FILE PHOTO)

After March 31 PMC will stop lifting garbage from housing societies.

According to officials of the solid waste management department, they are getting a positive response from housing societies.

Ajit Deshmukh, head, solid waste department, PMC, said, “There are five zones in the city. Till February 3, we have conducted meetings in two zones. Now, we are covering the remaining three zones in the coming days.”

Dr Kunal Khemnar, additional municipal commissioner, PMC, said, “The municipal corporation has started conducting meetings with members of residential housing societies, establishments, hotels to convey the message of deadline and make arrangements of processing wet garbage within society premises.”

“We have identified around 750 establishments which are generating bulk wet garbage. We are convincing them to make provision of processing wet garbage in their societies. They are giving positive responses and have started implementing it,” he said.

“Some of them are giving reasons like unavailability of space. We have suggested them to take help from a private agency which can process it,” he said.

Last month, PMC had given an ultimatum to establishments which are generating a bulk of more than 100 kg garage per day to recycle wet waste otherwise pay a heavy fine and warned that the corporation will not lift the garbage. PMC also suggested that establishments can appoint private agencies where they can process wet garbage if establishments face a problem of space to recycle waste.

As per Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, “Bulk waste generator” means and includes buildings occupied by the central government departments or undertakings, state government departments or undertakings, local bodies, public sector undertakings or private companies, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, colleges, universities, other educational institutions, hostels, hotels, commercial establishments, markets, places of worship, stadia and sports complexes among others having an average waste generation rate exceeding 100kg per day (of all waste streams put together).