Maharashtra to discuss Taloja as dumpsite

Despite opposition from the Taloja villagers in Navi Mumbai to set up a dumping ground there, the state government will soon hold a meeting with all the agencies concerned and stakeholders to sort out the issue. The new site has come into discussion after the Deonar dumping ground caught fire polluting the city’s environment.

Confirming the development, minister of state for urban development Dr Ranjit Patil said the government would soon hold a meeting with all the agencies concerned to sort out the issue at the earliest.

“No village would want a dumping site near its periphery. I have heard that gram sabhas near Taloja are opposing the move to shift the Deonar dumping zone in that area and are passing resolutions in this regard. The government will soon hold a meeting to resolve the issue,” Mr Patil said.

He admitted that the Deonar landfill site has already crossed its capacity. The state chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya has said that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was proactively concerned about the issue and that it would be sorted out soon.

When asked about using the solid waste to generate power, Mr Kshatriya said that there were some proposals from industries in this regard.

Meanwhile, workers of Mumbai NCP unit led by its president Sachin Ahir held a demonstration against the continuation of the site at Deonar. At the demonstration, Mr Ahir said the issue had assumed alarming proportions.

“The previous Congress-NCP regime had constituted a committee comprising former BMC municipal commissioner Sharad Kale and experts such as Ajit Jain and BMC officials. What action was taken on the findings of the committee ” he questioned.

Residents since last Thursday they faced a tough time after a fire at the Deonar dumping ground created a thick blanket of smog causing serious breathing and health problems to them.