PUNE: Three years after the announcement of setting up of construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling unit, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has not even activated the system to lift and transport waste.
However, the PMC is claiming that the unit will start working in January.
The PMC was trying to find a way to tackle the problem of construction waste and announced a project to recycle C&D waste in 2016 for which, the PMC was given government land to set up this special recycling plant. Now, the Solid Waste Management Department is blaming it on issues related to handing over of the land. While speaking to Sakal Times, Joint Municipal Commissioner Dnyaneshwar Molak said, “Land issue has been resolved and the contractor has started the construction of recycling unit in Wagholi. We are expecting to complete the unit by next month.”
Collect, transport and recycle C&D
The Solid Waste Management Department had started a toll-free number (1800-2339595) in June 2019 and had announced that the PMC is ready to provide the service to lift, transport and recycle C&D anywhere in the city.
This decision was taken with an eye on Swachh Survekshan-2020 and PMC finalised the rate of Rs 19 per metric tonne per kilometre to lift and transport construction waste. For recycling waste, PMC will pay Rs 195 per tonne to the contractor to process material at Wagholi plant.
The Solid Waste Department was also given directives to set feeder points in amenity spaces in 15 ward offices so that PMC can store C&D and then transport to Wagholi. However, nothing has happened yet.
Collecting waste
PMC’s junior engineer of Solid Waste Department Rajendra Tidke said, “We had given instructions to all ward offices to convey the list of feeder points but we have not received those yet. At present, we are not charging money from building contractors. We are collecting C&D and transporting it to Wagholi and storing it there. After the unit starts functioning, we will recycle it. At present, we have collected around 250 metric tonnes of C&D waste.”
He added, “PMC has already put a ban on dumping debris on open space, riverbed and nalas and are charging fine of Rs 25,000 on such activities. To avoid action, people dump their debris at night in the river bed which is making it narrow. We are however collecting it now.”
