Thane Municipal Corporation corporators refuse to pass SWM proposal; locals get respite from October 31 deadline

Residents of Thane can hope for some respite in November from the Thane Municipal Corporation's solid waste management decree which was `imposed' upon them. TMC corporators say, they will not pass the solid waste management proposal which requires bigger housing societies to manage their own waste. They have assured that they will try to find an amicable solution to the problem.

The TMC had earlier given the deadline of October 31 for Thane housing societies to take up their own solid waste management. After October 31, societies and establishments which are 5,000 square metre and above and generate 100 kilogramme of were asked to manage their garbage.

Many housing societies which are mostly on Ghodbunder (GB) road expressed their inability to do so. "We do not have place for parking, where will we find a place to do SWM," says Kasber Augustine, president, Thane citizens foundation (TCF). Over 1,000 housing societies in Thane are members of TCF.

As such TCF pursued the matter relentlessly with the TMC and Thane's guardian minister Eknath Shinde and on June 15, the deadline to do SWM was extended till October 31. However, it looks like the residents might win this battle as TMC corporators have come to their aid.

TMC house leader Naresh Mhaske said, they will not approve TMC's proposal about SWM. "The residents are ill-equipped to do SWM. They do not have the required technology or funds to do it," says Mhaske. "Moreover, the society members are honorary members while SWM requires dedicated men and machinery which would be an added expenditure for these societies," he said.

Hence, he said that the TMC's general body will not give its nod to the proposal. "We will not approve the SWM proposal and will try to find an amicable solution. It is TMC's responsibility to do SWM," Mhaske said.

It takes anywhere between Rs 6 lakh to Rs 12 lakh to set up an SWM unit and the residents say they cannot carry this additional burden. "There are so many taxes and we do not have funds nor the space or technical know-how to do SWM," Augustine said. "Instead of spending money on beautification TMC can do SWM under Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. More than beautification, they should spend money on giving citizens good roads, water, electricity, etc.; things needed by the citizens," he said.

BIG BURDEN

• According to corporators, It takes anywhere between Rs 6 lakh to Rs 12 lakh to set up an SWM unit and the residents say they cannot carry this additional burden