A few months back, small and medium scale industries in Bhosari and Chinchwad had taken to the streets to demand for the basic of all amenities — lifting of garbage.

Four months later, the industries say a beginning has happened and hope it would be taken forward to its logical end.

However, industrialists lament that disposal of hazardous waste continues to be a big headache for them.

The civic body on the other hand said that the hazardous waste has to be disposed off in Ranjangaon, where the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)has set up a facility for the same.

As a result, the entire Pimpri-Chinchwad Bhosari area is swamped with hazardous waste, creating environmental hazards.

Abhay Bhor, president of the Forum of Small Scale Industries Association, said they had raised the matter of garbage time and again but there has been no action.

“There are 22 blocks in the industrial areas managed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). The small and medium scale industries are vendor and sub vendors of the automotive giants in the area. International visitors often come to our premises,”he said.

The industrial area was plagued by uneven collection of solid waste generated by the units.

‘’Often the vehicle which came for collection of garbage went unnoticed- the solid waste kept lying at the door step for nights together,”he said.

The problem was aggravated as the canteens and the small shops which operate in the area dumped their waste on the roads added to the problem. “The industrial area presented a very sorry figure. There was garbage all over, “he said, adding that there are around 5,000 small, medium and big industrial units in the Pimpri-Chinchwad-Bhosari MIDC area.

A few months back Bhor and other members of the forum took to the streets to ask for corrections.

“We wanted a time-bound plan for the problem. We needed more vehicles and some way to ensure the vehicle does not leave without collecting the garbage,”he said.

Following talks with the authorities, 12 new vehicles were added to the fleet of vehicles collecting waste and to ensure the companies know of their presence they started blarring out sirens.

Sachin Bhagat, owner of Milkon Heavy Engineering Limited, whose unit is on the T block, said the sirens on the vehicles have helped put a lot of complains to ease.

“Now we know that the vehicle is around and our staff ensures the garbage is delivered to them,”he said, Similarly Vikas Madhani, of New Tech Coupling Limited agreed the siren has helped them a lot.

“Overall there has been an improvement in the manner of garbage collection,” they said.

But problems remain.There is still the question of hazardous waste.

“We have the problem of food waste being dumped by carts at night. The roads require regular sweeping which is not done,”said Bhor.

Sandeep Belsare, president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Small Scale Industries Association, said, “The problem of non-hazardous waste has been somewhat sorted. But what about the hazardous waste? The PCMC is telling us to dispose of it at the Ranjangaon facility. This is not possible for small scale industries it involved heavy cost especially related to transportation.”

Even about the non-hazardous waste, Belsare said, PCMC is not lifting the garbage from all corners of the MIDC area. “It is not about the wet and dry garbage. The issue is about disposal of hazardous waste. Again, only those who have pollution control board are allowed to dispose of hazardous waste at Ranjangaon facility.”

Belsare said their main demand is that PCMC should set up a plant for disposal of hazardous waste.

“But the PCMC is flatly refusing to do so. The PCMC commissioner is not listening to our repeated demands and requests. Pimpri-Chinchwad MIDC desperately needs a plant for disposal of hazardous waste. Besides, where is the Central Effluent Plant ? Even that is missing…The PCMC is no answer to this.”

Belsare said the hazardous waste and chemicals are let out openly and are posing a threat to the environment. “This certainly creates environmental problems. But is the civic body and the government bothered about it

When contacted, PCMC Joint City Engineer Sanjay Kulkarni told The Indian Express, “PCMC lifts dry and wet garbage. But we do not lift hazardous waste. It has to be disposed off in Ranjangaon. The pollution board has set up the facility at Ranjangaon. PCMC does not have the expertise to set up such a plant.”

As for the indiscriminately dumped hazardous waste, Kulkarni said PCMC takes action against those dumping hazardous waste openly.

”However, the action has to be taken by the pollution board,” he said.