8 months on, heaps of waste still surround LBT office

Aurangabad | Tuesday | 13th November, 2018

Summary:

“Our first milestone was making the site odour free and free from flies. Aurangabad: Eight months have passed since the civic administration started bringing in unsegregated waste at a compound in Central Naka but very little has been done to clear the mounds of garbage that is attracting dogs and keeping residents and shopkeepers in unease.Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) started dumping waste at Central Naka in February at a time it faced backlash from residents in Naregaon for indiscriminate dumping. Marking the completion of the first milestone, a tea party had been organised at the site that was attended by the municipal commissioner on August 15,” said Pathak.As part of the second phase which is currently on, the waste at the site is being processed and segregated. Over the months, the compound, which houses the office of the local body tax (LBT), the ward office, parking for garbage trucks and dry waste processing shed, accumulated over 2,000 tonnes of waste.As mixed waste started coming in from zone 3 on a daily basis till July, mounds of garbage cropped up at the site which even started spilling over to the neighbouring cremation and burial grounds.Amid rising health concerns, the dumping was stopped three months ago and the civic body started lifting waste from the site but still the site is far from being free of waste. Shaikh Gulab, a vendor who has his setup near the site said, “We have been tolerating this unbearable stench for several months.” Mohammed Rehan Shaikh, a resident of Altamash Colony near Central Naka, said, “The garbage trucks carrying fresh waste are parked in the compound.”Incharge zone officer Mukund Kulkarni said that the processing was on and that the waste would be cleared in another 15 days..