THANE: Housing societies in Thane will have to install organic waste recycling units on their premises, as part of an initiative of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to reduce the pile-up of waste and to make waste disposal environment-friendly.
Societies that generate 100kg of organic waste daily – kitchen waste and garden waste – are covered under this initiative.
The TMC has decided to enforce the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000 (MSW Rules), which are applicable to every municipal authority responsible for the collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of municipal solid waste.
To help implement the initiative, a bulk waste generator cell (BWG) has been set up under the TMC’s solid waste management department. The team has begun to identify societies that generate more than 100kg of waste every day. The BWG cell has already surveyed more than 700 residential societies, which have been issued notices to install recycling machines.
Dr Rani Shinde, who heads TMC’s solid waste management department, said, “The MSW Rules are aimed at reducing waste generation, ensuring environment-friendly disposal, and reducing pressure on landfills. The TMC has limited resources. Wet waste is biodegradable and can be used in gardens as fertiliser or manure after recycling.”
She added, “Additionally, waste segregation on housing society premises reduces the amount of garbage collected. It also helps collect recyclable materials such as plastic, metals, etc.”
Shinde said the TMC is aware that not every housing society can afford to install a waste recycling unit, or has sufficient manpower, or the space to install such a machine. Therefore, the TMC has collaborated with pharma company IPCA, which is providing 20 such machines to residential societies under its CSR fund.
These organic waste recycling units, called ‘aerobins’, cost around ₹25,000 each. Four such aerobins have been installed at the TMC headquarters, where canteen and other wet waste is being recycled.
Residents, however, have serious reservations about the initiative. Megha Ghatge, a resident of Sanghavi Hills, Ghodbunder Road, said, “It’s a welcome move. However, not all societies can afford to buy these recycling machines. The civic body should ensure that it doesn’t become a burden for residents, who are already paying various taxes to the municipality.”
Dr Veena Kawalkar, a housing society committee member at Haware City, Thane, said, “In residential societies, over 40% of members don’t pay maintenance on time. How can we then buy such recycling machines? The environment-friendly approach by TMC is appreciated, but before taking up initiatives like this, it should provide us with basic facilities like water and clean surroundings. It’s been almost three days since they last removed garbage from our area. Our society is surviving on tanker water.”