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MPCB issues notice to Loni Kalbhor Gram Panchayat after fire at dumping site
During inspection, MPCB officials, along with local citizens, found large piles of mixed solid waste dumped on the banks of the river by the Loni Kalbhor and Kadamwak Vasti Gram Panchayats. There were no signs of scientific treatment, segregation, or any safeguards.
PUNE: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued formal notice to the Loni Kalbhor Gram Panchayat after an onsite inspection carried out on Sunday, March 1, following a massive fire at a garbage dumping site adjacent to the Mula-Mutha river in Loni Kalbhor.
Navnath Avtade, sub-regional officer, MPCB, said, “A site inspection was carried out today and we have issued notice to the concerned Gram Panchayats. A detailed compliance report has been sought without delay. Failure to act could prompt the MPCB to recommend legal action under the applicable provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.”
Fire erupted on February 26 at the dump site on the Mula-Mutha riverbed in Loni Kalbhor which raged for two days, sending thick plumes of smoke across nearby localities and prompting emergency response from fire services. The smoke impeded visibility and raised health concerns among residents and students, with several individuals reportedly hospitalised for respiratory problems.
During the inspection conducted on March1 following the fire, MPCB officials, along with local citizens, found large piles of mixed solid waste dumped on the banks of the river by the Loni Kalbhor and Kadamwak Vasti Gram Panchayats. There were no signs of scientific treatment, segregation, or any safeguards. The waste had spread uncontrollably and was seen accumulating in the riverbed area.
During the inspection, MPCB officials were told by local residents that the waste frequently caught fire and released thick, foul-smelling smoke which caused serious discomfort to people, students living nearby, and staff of the adjacent MIT educational complex. Despite repeated written complaints to the Gram Panchayats, no action had been taken, yet.
MPCB’s inspection further found that the dumping location — grazing land gut number 113 within the Loni Kalbhor village limits — is not authorised under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and there is no permission from the relevant authorities for waste disposal or processing at the site.
The MPCB in its official notice to the Gram Panchayats said that the waste observed at the site includes plastic, construction debris, hotel refuse, thermocol, discarded clothing, animal carcasses, and kitchen waste from shops. Much of the garbage shows signs of decomposition, intensifying odour and pollution in the surrounding area.
The MPCB directed the Loni Kalbhor Gram Panchayat to prepare and begin implementation of a scientific waste management action plan immediately. It ordered that under no circumstances should solid waste be allowed to mix with or enter the Mula-Mutha river. Additionally, the notice called for the establishment of a fire control mechanism at the site to prevent recurring fires and protect public health.
Meanwhile, the MPCB also deployed a real-time air pollution monitoring van at the site where waste is being dumped on a large scale. “The air quality readings will be taken for the next 24 hours for further assessment. The board has also communicated with the Zilla Parishad office about the issue,” said a senior officer from the MPCB.
