Garbage burning resumes near Blue Ridge in Pune’s Hinjewadi

Illegal dumping and burning of garbage have been a constant reminder to the residents of Hinjewadi of the inept handling of solid waste management in the area.

On Tuesday, residents witnessed black clouds spiralling out from an open plot, wherein garbage was set on fire, adjacent to the Blue Ridge Public School where children were engaged in their physical education class.

Garbage dumping and burning at Hinjewadi has become a serious environmental issue and a health hazard affecting one lakh residents who stay in the villages at Hinjewadi, Maan and Marunji which hosts the Hinjewadi IT Park where IT professionals work daily.

Garbage is being dumped illegally there and then, set on fire during the night and early morning hours, leading to air pollution, according to residents. Inadequate measures to manage garbage and segregate it after the increase in residential areas in Hinjewadi has caused these problems, allege residents.

“The fumes were so thick that many of us inside our homes were also coughing,” said Sharmila Vaitla, a resident of Blue Ridge society. “It is definitely worrying as garbage burning has become a major issue especially in open fields next to our township. People discard things here and it is being burnt without realising the extent of damage it is causing the people who live nearby. It is deteriorating the quality of air we breathe,” she added.

Subhashini Raisinghani, a resident of Blue Ridge whose son goes to Blue Ridge Public School, said, “From what I saw from my window, plastic was burning. This is bad for health and the fumes are harmful. My son informed me that students were asked to closed their windows in the school,” she said.

Hinjewadi gram panchayat village development officer Tulsiram Raykar, said, “Gram sevaks have been on strike since August 22 and have stopped collecting garbage. We witnessed garbage burning in the area, but we will try to solve the problem. We will penalise people who burn garbage.”

Last year too, Hinjewadi IT park residents welfare association had written to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) in April, which then served show-cause notices to Maan and Hinjewadi gram panchayats seeking a response on the complaints related to garbage burning at open plots.

The notices were sent to the two gram panchayats by MPCB on May 21, 2018. The notice mentions that according to the new rules set by the Maharashtra government, the local bodies will be responsible for setting up, operationalisation and co-ordination of the waste management system, and for performing associated functions.

“Till date no one has been penalised since there is a lack of a singular regulatory body looking after solid waste management in the area. If the jurisdiction comes under Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), we cannot penalise people there,” added Raykar.