Phursungi residents demand halt on open dumping of waste at local depot, say PMC has failed to address their concerns

Pune: Residents of Phursungi and Urali Devachi on Thursday pressed for an immediate halt on open dumping of waste at the garbage depot site in the areas, as also for authorities to follow scientific methods for bio-mining of garbage for its disposal at the location. The residents also don’t want any additional garbage processing plant in the area, although they have highlighted that they are unhappy with the civic administration’s current efforts of waste processing at the site.The residents of the two areas said they have been communicating with officials of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) since last month to eliminate lapses in handling of waste in the depot area.Local resident Amol Karpe told TOI, “We wrote a letter to PMC on May 11 highlighting various lapses related to the garbage depot. Site visits were conducted by civic officials last month, but the situation has not improved on ground. We even approached the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) at the end of May and pressed for scientific methods to be followed for bio-mining that is done for garbage disposal here.”He added, “Residents do not want any additional garbage processing plant in Phursungi. The civic administration should not ignore our demands. We have already faced a lot of problems because of open dumping of waste at the garbage depot. We also want a close monitoring of the ongoing process of bio-mining.”The residents had conducted a day-long agitation in the last week of May at the garbage depot site to raise their concerns.Another resident, Santosh Harpale, said, ”People here face a lot of problems because of open dumping of waste. Pollution of all kinds has been on rise. Residents will continue to oppose open dumping of waste.”An official from PMC told TOI, “We are taking steps to complete bio-mining activities here in the next few years. Instructions have been issued not to indulge in open dumping of waste at the site.”