Posted On Wednesday, August 08, 2012 at 09:12:11 AM
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Abiogas plant set up by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to generate electricity for street lights has been giving nightmares to the residents of Maharashtra Housing Society in Yerwada area.
Residents have alleged that the PMC has cheated them by building the plant while it had promised to build a water tank for its pumping station. Now they are complaining that continuous foul smell and irritating noise from the generator sets of the plant have taken away their peace and calm of the locality.
| Mahendra Kolhe |
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The biogas plant is located adjacent to M-23 society (seen in
the background) in Yerwada |
The PMC authorities said the plant has been set up under the solid waste management system. Under this system, wet garbage from the area is collected and used to generate electricity to light street lamps in the same area.
In 2009, solid waste management department of the PMC had undertaken a project to build biogas plants in various parts of the city. Till date 12 plants, including the Yerwada facility, have been instaled in various residential areas of the city.
The work for Yerwada plant was build at the cost of Rs 47 lakh and its work had started in 2010. Archana Panse, a resident of M-23 society, said, “The PMC had started the work saying it was constructing a water tank for a pumping station. We trusted them and didn’t raise any objection.
After its completion they started using it as biogas plant. The foul smell from the plant is suffocating.” Ajay Balal, chairman of the society, said, “We have sent nearly 50 complaints to the PMC.
We got temporary relief when they acted on the complaints and stopped the plant thrice in the last seven months. But we want it completely shut.” Balal added, “There are nearly four housing societies near the plant. Our society is the most affected as our building is close to the plant.
We are facing noise pollution. Therefore we are demanding a permanent closure of the plant. I don’t understand why did they set up the plant in a residential area.” Explaining the rationale behind commissioning biogas plants, Suresh Jagtap, deputy municipal commissioner and incharge of the solid waste management department, said, “We are doing this for the people’s benefit.
But no one wants a plant in their area while they want us to dump the garbage they generate somewhere else. How can it be possible? The plants are set up to process garbage and generate electricity. I don’t think it is such a big problem.”
“We are taking all possible step to minimise the noise and odour,” Jagtap said referring to covers on generator sets and sorting of wet and dry garbage. Besides Yerwada, the PMC-run biogas plants are located in Model Colony, Aundh, Bavdhan, Peshwe Park, Katraj- Kondhwa road, Katraj, Hadapsar, Ghole Raod and Wanwadi-Salunkhe Vihar.
► No one wants a plant in their area while they want us to dump the garbage they generate somewhere else
- Suresh Jagtap, Deputy Municipal Commissoner
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05:20:12 PM