Pune: After Garbage Dumping Crisis, PMRDA Plans 150 TPD Waste Plant For 14 Villages

Pune: The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has decided to set up a 150-tonne-per-day (TPD) solid waste processing plant at Theur to address the long-running garbage disposal problem in eastern Haveli. The proposed facility will come up on 10 acres of government-designated grazing land (gairan land) in Theur and will serve 14 gram panchayats. The capacity has been planned by considering the projected population of the region up to 2043, officials said.

The decision comes months after villages in the region faced serious waste disposal problems, including garbage piling up and allegations of waste being dumped and burnt along the Mula-Mutha riverbank. A review meeting for the project was held at PMRDA headquarters in Akurdi on Tuesday in the presence of Shirur MLA Dnyaneshwar Katke and PMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Abhijit Chaudhari.

14 villages to send waste to Theur

The proposed plant will cater to Theur, Loni Kalbhor, Kadamwakwasti, Kesnand, Wadebolhai, Uruli Kanchan, Sashte, Koregaon Mul, Sortapwadi, Alandi Mhatobachi, Naigaon Prayagdham, Shindawane, Peth and Kolwadi. According to Dr Chaudhari, the 10-acre plot will be used for the project and the facility will have a capacity of 150 TPD based on the projected population for 2043.

Gram panchayats within a 20-kilometre radius of the plant will collect waste from their respective areas and transport it to Theur. They will also have to pay a tipping fee for scientific processing of the waste. PMRDA has asked the participating gram panchayats to pass formal resolutions agreeing to join the project. The move is aimed at creating a common waste-processing system instead of leaving individual villages to find their own disposal arrangements.

Eastern Haveli has struggled with waste disposal

The announcement comes against the backdrop of a serious waste problem in the region. In March, Loni Kalbhor witnessed a major garbage crisis after access to a dumping site used by villagers was blocked. The site was located close to the Mula-Mutha river. The situation led to garbage piling up in the village as there was no immediate alternative disposal facility.

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) later inspected the site following complaints about waste burning and toxic fumes. Its inspections found mixed waste, plastic, thermocol, construction waste, hotel waste, clothes and other material dumped at the site and along the riverbank. The authorities also found waste being burnt at the site. The MPCB had also flagged concerns over the absence of required authorisation under the Solid Waste Management Rules.

The scale of the problem was significant. An MPCB report cited in June estimated that Loni Kalbhor generated around seven tonnes of municipal waste a day, while Kadamwakwasti generated around six tonnes daily. Uruli Kanchan has also faced waste-management difficulties. The village was reported to be generating around 15 to 18 tonnes of waste every day, while the gram panchayat struggled with manpower and transport vehicles. The figures highlight the pressure on local bodies in eastern Haveli and the need for a common processing facility.

PMRDA follows Chakan waste-management model

The Theur project is the second major regional solid waste initiative being taken up by PMRDA this year. The authority has already started the process for a centralised waste-processing facility for the Chakan industrial belt, where several gram panchayats and two municipal councils have been facing waste-management problems. The model involves local bodies collecting waste and transporting it to a central facility for processing.

PMRDA is now planning a similar system for eastern Haveli. The authority said the two projects will provide a broader waste-management framework for the industrial and semi-urban areas under its jurisdiction. The Theur project is also being planned with a long-term view, with the proposed 150 TPD capacity based on the projected population in 2043.

MLA promises vehicles for weaker gram panchayats

Shirur-Haveli MLA Dnyaneshwar Katke welcomed the decision and said efforts would be made to support financially weaker gram panchayats. Katke said funds from the Zilla Parishad and District Planning Committee would be sought to provide garbage collection vehicles, or ghanta gadis, to such gram panchayats. He also appealed to other adjoining gram panchayats to join the initiative.

PMRDA officials said the project is intended to provide a long-term solution to the waste-management problems of all 14 participating gram panchayats. The immediate next step is for the gram panchayats concerned to pass resolutions agreeing to participate in the project. The authority will then take the project forward for implementation.