Citizens irked over ‘forced’ wet waste management rules

The president of the Pimpri Chinchwad Co-op Housing Societies Federation said he has suggested a cluster wet waste management system for every ward so that disposal becomes easier for all.

On September 19, representatives from the Pimpri Chinchwad Co-op Housing Societies Federation of Pimpri Chinchwad areas met the municipal commissioner Singh and the deputy commissioner Abhay Charthankar to discuss the wet waste management.

The Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation has asked societies generating more than 100 kgs of wet waste to dispose of it on their own, starting from October 2.

Explaining about their hardships to the officials, the residents said that the decision is oppressive and will have adverse effects on the health of the people.

The officials, for their part, explained that the decision to let large societies manage their wet waste was taken in the 2016 but has not been implemented since then. It is under pressure from the central government that the corporation is forced to implement this decision, said officials.

Speaking to Pune Pulse about the meeting with the civic chief, Dattatray Deshmukh, president of the housing societies federation said, “The officials are talking about an order passed in 2016 but there are many flats which have been built well before that. Such societies neither have the facility nor the space for wet waste disposal. Societies which have the facility are willing to take up the responsibility but what about others who don’t have? Even without checking if such a facility is available inside the premises, the rule is being enforced on us. The talk is only about societies which have 70 plus flats, which would be around 30% of the total population. What is the plan for the smaller societies? Are the hotels, restaurants and eateries also expected to follow this rule? Is it even possible when most of the time the eateries encroach into corporation land for customer parking?”

Deshmukh said that the corporation officials are unnecessarily burdening the huge societies with wet waste management, even as they are having a tough time providing water to their residents. “When the financial burden of the water tanker bill is too much to handle already, this added responsibility of wet waste management will not be feasible,” he said.

Deshmukh said he has suggested a cluster wet waste management system for every ward so that disposal becomes easier for all.

As per the officials, a workshop will be organised for all residents before the rule comes into place. The PCMC commissioner has also promised to hold a comprehensive discussion on how this project of the central government can be successfully implemented with the mutual cooperation of the municipality and the society. At the fag end of the meeting, the federation representatives also gave a detailed statement to the commissioner in this regard.