The Indian Express 15.06.2013
3 cannon shells in 1 week prompts PMC to alert waste collection staff
past one week, forcing Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to send an alert
to all its civic staff involved in waste collection and transportation
alongwith processing units across the city.
“Recovery of cannon shells from the waste is a serious issue and
could have resulted in major accidents leading to human loss. The PMC
staff have to be careful in such situation and with their alertness can
avoid any untoward incident,” said additional Municipal Commissioner
Rajendra Jagtap.
He said that the civic staff have been asked to be on alert while
handling waste and to also inform the authorities as soon as possible.
“The civic staff would be given instructions on how to handle any
suspicious item found while handling waste. The processing unit will be
asked to be careful when they find any suspicious item,” said Deputy
Municipal Commissioner Pramod Yadava.
On June 11, a cannon shell was found in the solid waste plant of
Pune Municipal Corporation near Ramtekdi in Hadapsar industrial estate
area. A team of Wanavdi police, the bomb detection and disposal squad
(BDDS) and also Army personnel reached the spot on getting the
information and checked the cannon shell. Sources said the cannon shell
was manufactured 15 to 20 years back. It carried high explosive content
and could have caused damage on explosion.
Police said that PMC’s solid waste plant to generate electricity
is operated on BOT basis by Rochem Separation Systems India Pvt Ltd.
Employees Kanifnath Jadhav and Suryakant Manjare found the cannon shell
while working in the garbage depot of the solid waste plant. Soon, the
police were informed. The length of the cannon shell is one foot four
inches, and diameter is five inches and weight about 10 kg.
On June 12, the police got information of another cannon shell found
at Omni Active Health Technologies Private Limited in Hinjewadi.
However, police said the cannon shell was actually found while
construction work for a transformer was going on inside the company
premises on June 8. A construction worker Bhimrao Navsupe (38), who
found the cannon shell, informed the company staff about it but kept the
cannon shell aside on the company premises. However, on reading the
news reports about the cannon shell found in the PMC’s solid waste plant
at Ramtekdi, the company staff informed the Hinjewadi police station.
Police said the length of this cannon shell is about 11 inches with a
diameter of about three inches.
Similarly, on June 7 a cannon shell had been found while digging
land for construction work near Sayaji Hotel in Hinjewadi. Some months
ago, a shell was found in a garbage depot in the jurisdiction of Loni
Kalbhor police station.
Inspector Parshuram Patil of Hinjewadi police station said, “It
is important to inform the police about objects like cannon shells. We
would be handing it to Army through proper procedure.”