Wealth From the Waste

Only Remedy to Assuage the Problem of Garbage

Can the city dump its unserviceable lifestyle on the areas adjoining it. This question has been brought to forth by the strong agitation carried out by the residents of Uruli Devachi near Hadapsar. The villager of this small village are protesting against the garbage depot for last many years. The latest agitation is going on for four day in a row and today is the fifth day. But the issue has been overlooked by all and sundry. There have been even instances in the past where the water in the wells of the village has been proved to be contaminated with poisonous matters because of existence of garbage depot.

The garbage depot was first situated in Kothrud. But owing to the rising complaints from residents nearby, the Pune Municipal Corporation decided it to be shifted to Uruli Devachi. What was a problem essentially of city dwellers was sent to the villagers ho had nopart to play in it. After about a decade, the vicious effects of 1000 to 1200 tonnes of garbage being dumped daily are felt. Besides the pollution, it has also posed health hazards. Just three months ago, a fire started in the depot which lasted for more than a week. Demands were made in past with Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) authorities to rein in PMC.But MPCB has done little except issuing notices to PMC for “unscientifically” dumping the garbage.

Now that the garbage dumping has been stopped in Uruli Devachi, the heaps of garbage are piling up in the city. Complaints about the same have also been sounded. But one must look at the problem not through one side. City dwellers pride themselves and are always demanding for the new conveniences. But once their needs are fulfilled, these conveniences make a huge amount of garbage. And new trash dumps are always needed to put this waste. That's where the areas like Uruli Devachi come in. This area has been used as a dumping ground since 1983.

While Pune has developed multitudinously during last two decades, the adjoining parts of the city are best sites to develop housing and waste disposal as well. Fursungi, Vishrantwadi and such areas are looked upon as the best supporting land for the growing needs of citizens. You have industrial waste? dump it at Fursungi. You have drainage and human waste? Dump it in the rivers. This is the standard approach of civilized and democratic Puneites coming from all over the world. Nobody bothered to aks the villagers whether they want to accommodate the remains of human bodies, ash and decomposed food items, old and defunct parts of the machines that were engaged in building successful businesses, the dust and everything else that was thought not to be fit enough to keep in the city.

So this is the reason why the villagers are up in arms over the garbage issue. It is not about the rural versus urban divide. It is about arrogance versus existence. City's arrogance has reached its threshold and existence of the areas near cities is in question. The remedy? I am tool little and uninformed to suggest a remedy over this much big a problem. But it will be always good if we can find a way to create wealth from waste!