The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is taking significant strides in its commitment to efficient waste management. Plans are currently in motion to secure 23 hectares of land, earmarked for a state-of-the-art waste depot in Punawale. Simultaneously, the Forest Department is in the final stages of procuring an equal 23 hectares of private land adjoining the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district.
Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh has confirmed that the PCMC is determined to finalize the acquisition of the waste depot’s location by the end of December.
Every day, the city of Pimpri-Chinchwad witnesses the accumulation of 1,200 tonnes of both wet and dry waste. Currently, this waste is collected and disposed of at the 81-acre waste depot in Moshi, which has been in operation since 1991. The Moshi depot has seen innovative projects converting wet waste into fertilizer and harnessing the power generation potential of dry waste, while also producing fuel from plastic waste. However, it is nearing its capacity limits, necessitating expansion efforts.
Recognizing the pressing need to address urban growth and waste management, the Municipal Corporation initially set its sights on acquiring 23 hectares of land from the Forest Department in Punawale as far back as 2008. Unfortunately, the process of securing this designated land has encountered delays.
In exchange for the Punawale land, the municipality had intended to offer an alternative site in Mulshi to the Forest Department. However, this proposal was declined due to concerns about the presence of gravelly soil at the Mulshi location.
Subsequently, the Forest Department proposed an alternative: private land adjacent to the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district. The Municipal Corporation has now initiated the land acquisition process through the Chandrapur Collectorate, having already disbursed 5.34 lakh rupees for seat counting, with a total payment of ten crore rupees for the land in the pipeline. Once this acquisition is successfully completed, it will pave the way for a modern waste depot equipped with advanced waste processing systems. Commissioner Singh is confident that this initiative will curtail the formation of garbage heaps in the region, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable environment.
