Pune Zilha Parishad Provides Solutions To Solid Waste Management Woes In Khed Taluka Gram Panchayats

Pune, 2nd May 2023: Ayush Prasad, the Chief Executive Officer of Pune Zilha Parishad, has visited three gram panchayats in Khed Taluka – Nanekarwardi, Medankarwardi and Kharabwardi – to continue the drive to improve solid waste management in the district.
These gram panchayats have over 300 major manufacturing units outside MIDC Limits, and a large number of workers live in their premises. During his visit, Prasad inspected various chronic spots where waste has accumulated along sides of roads, open grounds and rivulet streams.
Following his visit, Prasad has instructed the gram panchayats to take the following measures:
Cover the sides of roads where people throw waste with shade nets or roof sheets to prevent people from throwing waste.
Install visible dustbins made of bamboo and waste bags by the side of roads.
Explore outsourcing for waste collection and waste processing, with a model tender document based on municipal corporations being made available to gram panchayats from Zilha Parishad.
The Sarpanch and Gram Sevak must go to each house with waste collection vehicle to encourage waste segregation at source.
Create a clear route with timings for waste collection vehicles, similar to bus and milk collection vehicles.
Regularly sweep places wherever public gathers.
The infrastructure for processing solid waste has been constructed in nearly 800 gram panchayats, and detailed project reports have been made for all gram panchayats. Construction is ongoing in another 250 gram panchayats. However, the gram panchayats face problems such as land for waste processing plants and lack of funds for hiring sufficient people for waste collection, transportation, and processing.
To address these issues, the Revenue Department has processed and allotted lands for over a hundred projects, and the Zilha Parishad is working with them for land for remaining projects. The Zilha Parishad has also sent a proposal to the government to modify the regulations under the gram panchayat act 1957, allowing gram panchayats to collect health Cess as per the market determined mechanism, rather than a fixed upper limit of Rs 50, which is the current policy.
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