No problem at Deonar dump: Civic body ……….Sukhada Tatke I TNN
Mumbai: In an affidavit filed in the Bombay high court on Wednesday, the civic administration has stated that all is well with the Deonar dumping ground.
The affidavit was in reply to a contempt petition against the BMC commissioner, filed by the Smoke Affected Residents Forum (SARF) recently. The case, however, did not come up for hearing on Wednesday.
The forum had moved the court stating that the BMC had not fulfilled any of the promises it had made to the high court in 1996, following the first PIL filed by SARF.
The BMCs affidavit, submitted by its solid waste management department, states that it has prepared an integrated waste disposal plan for 6,500 metric tonnes of garbage, which is, at present, disposed haphazardly. However, contradicting itself, the same affidavit states that uploading of garbage is carried out as per the conditions of the dumping ground and is not dumped hapzardly.
The affidavit has outlined the Rs 5,500-crore new plan, which is awaiting the standing committees approval. Around 2,000 metric tonnes of garbage will be processed at the Deonar landfill, another 4,000 metric tonnes at the Kanjur Marg landfill and 500 metric tonnes will be processed at the Mulund landfill site, the affidavit said.
The BMC said the project includes development of the present site, its scientific closure and post-closure maintenance. Details of the waste processing and sanitary landfill have also been provided.
However, when TOI visited the site on Monday, there was no evidence of the BMCs claim of round-the-clock security at the ground. Ragpickers were seen entering the premises without mandatory identity cards. The affidavit said the main road has been asphalted and the eight loop roads are made of hard construction to facilitate smooth plying of dumpers. But TOI found kuchcha roads at the site. Additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said the partial closure plan would solve the problems.
Meanwhile, the proposal for the scientific closure came up before the Standing committee on Wednesday but was deferred to next week.