Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) officials are struggling to find a place to dump around 800 metric ton garbage generated in the city every day. The situation is so critical that heaps of garbage and garbage-laden trucks parked along the Eastern Expressway has become a regular sight in Thane.

The civic authorities had identified 17-acre land for garbage dumping near Daighar village. But the land could not be used due to strong opposition from villagers. Despite acquiring the land, the officials have failed to construct an approach road to the proposed ground which has not become operational, leading to severe problems.
Ironically, having earned laurels for various innovative projects in the past, TMC does not have a single project for scientific disposal of the garbage.

“Garbage is being dumped on private land. When the land reaches its capacity, we spend sleepless nights to find a place to dump garbage,” said a senior TMC official. In such situations, garbage is dumped anywhere, even along the creek behind Octroi check post on Ghodbunder Road, during nights.

“The civic authorities and the ruling party in TMC should find a solution immediately, as it is their responsibility  to provide healthy living,” said NCP MLC Jitendra Awhad. Deputy chief of Shiv Sena’s Thane unit and former corporator Naresh Mhaske said, “Currently there is no problem of garbage dumping in the city since it is being dumped on private land and the efforts are on to start Daighar dumping ground as early as possible.” However, he agreed that the municipal corporation frequently faces the problem of garbage dumping.

The leaders and civic officials had portrayed a rosy picture when the land for Daighar dumping ground was identified. But all  claims of manufacturing fertilizers, fuel and power generation from garbage have vanished into thin air.