Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has issued notices to 876 residential societies for failing to install garbage treatment plants on its premises. The notice also states that the civic body will not lift garbage from June 1, 2019, if the housing societies fail to process their wet garbage.
Dilip Gawade, additional commissioner, and head of solid waste management department, PCMC, said, “According to the Municipal Corporation Solid Waste Act if a housing society produces 100 kilogrammes of wet garbage or more in a day, it is mandatory for it to treat the waste within the society premises. We have decided not to lift garbage of housing societies that fail to process their own garbage (100 kg). We have served notices to 876 housing societies in different parts of the city and will revisit these places on June 15 to cross-check.”
According to Gawade, societies that treat their wet waste will also receive a five per cent property tax exemption. During a visit in April, the civic health inspectors found that at least 876 housing societies have failed to install garbage processing machinery.
Meanwhile, residents of housing societies from Chikhali and Pimple Saudagar are unhappy with the civic body’s action. These societies were constructed before 2000 and so the garbage processing machinery was not installed.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, residents of housing societies from Chikhali and Pimple Saudagar are unhappy with the civic body’s action. These societies were constructed before 2000 and so the garbage processing machinery was not installed.
{{/usCountry}}Sachin Ahire, chairman, Dwarkadheesh Residency in Pimple Saudagar, said, “We do not have enough space to install a process plant at our premises. We have also checked options to install the plant on the roof, but the project is too costly. We are working on finding a solution. If the civic body gives us more time, it will benefit us.”
Santosh Phenany, secretary of River Residency, Chikhali, also agreed that the processing of garbage should be done by the housing societies. “However, PCMC should provide initial training and support the initiative till the society can work on its own. Such arbitrary action by the civic body is aggravating our problem.”
To support the residents, Laxman Jagtap, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), member of the legislative assembly (MLA), has written to the municipal commissioner demanding that the civic body should not take immediate arbitrary action and accept wet garbage from the housing societies.
According to the civic body, only 45 housing societies have installed garbage treatment plants at their premises.
Pix - 1) Sachin Ahire, chairman, Dwarkadheesh Residency in Pimple Saudagar
2) Santosh Phenany, secretary, River Residency, Chikhali