The Times of India 22.12.2009
Villagers to again block dumping of garbage
PUNE: The villagers of Phursungi-Urali are on the warpath again. For the third time this year, they have decided to stop municipal corporation vehicles from disposing of the city’s garbage in the open dumping site in their villages.
“We have written to the authorities concerned about our decision to bar dumping from December 25,” said Ranjit Raskar, member of the Phursungi gram panchayat.
The continued shoddy management of garbage by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the seepage of toxic waste at the dumping site are the main reasons for the agitation. “We are utterly disappointed and frustrated at the PMC’s poor management of garbage and toxic waste generated in the form of leachate,” said Raskar.
When contacted, PMC’s municipal solid waste management head Suresh Jagtap said, “I have heard of the agitation. The PMC is committed to the effective management of garbage. Two recycling units are coming up at the garbage depot. This will resolve the issues over garbage disposal forever.”
Following an agitation from April 10 to 14, the villagers carried out an eight-day agitation which ended on May 14. They were then given an assurance by the PMC that it would stop dumping garbage at the two landfill sites after seven months.
The assurance to the villagers had come as a huge relief for Puneites as hundreds of tonnes of garbage had piled up in the city during the agitation, sparking fears of an outbreak of disease. The city generates 900-1,200 tonnes of garbage daily.
