PMC to appoint security staff at chronic garbage burning points
Despite flying squads and drives conducted at ward office levels by PMC to act against waste burning, illegal garbage burning remains a perennial issue in several parts of the city
Given the issue of rampant garbage burning in the Ahmednagar Road ward office jurisdiction, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to appoint security at chronic spots in the area. The sanitary inspectors have been also instructed to increase the vigil and take stern action against violators, said the officials.
Despite flying squads and drives conducted at ward office levels by PMC to act against waste burning, illegal garbage burning remains a perennial issue in several parts of the city. Citizens have been highlighting the distress caused by the fire, particularly among the elderly and children, especially those suffering from respiratory diseases.
On Sunday afternoon, a fire incident was reported in Kharadi, wherein herds of garbage were illegally burned near Zensar IT company. Kharadi residents claimed fire incidents at several locations in the area are frequent and demanded a permanent solution to the perennial problem. In the past several incidents of indiscriminate burning of garbage and debris dumped along the riverbank near the Salim Ali Biodiversity Park have been reported and residents of Kalyaninagar have raised their concerns.
Kishori Shinde, deputy commissioner, PMC, said, “We have decided to increase vigilance in chronic spots where such incidents of garbage burning are rampant. A letter will be sent to the main department of PMC requesting to provide us with additional staff. Open lands belonging to the PMC are soft targets for illegal garbage dumping and burning. This staff will be deployed at such locations to prevent illegal garbage dumping and burning,” she said.
Shinde, further assured to look into the issue and take stern action.
“In the Kalyaninagar incident, we have issued notice and also fined the violators. The Sanitary Inspector and deputy sanitary inspectors are asked to increase surveillance and action,” she said.
The civic body has taken action in 1,700 incidents by issuing notices filing cases and collecting ₹ 9.80 lakh as a fine from violators from April 2023 to February 2024. However, citizens demand intensified surveillance and action.
Sandip Kadam, head of the Solid Waste Management department, PMC, informed flying squads and sanitary staff at the ward office level to take action against illegal garbage burning as per solid waste management rules 2016.’
