Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The population in villages outside the municipal corporation limits is rapidly increasing. In 35 villages near the city, there is no provision for clean drinking water, waste processing, or sewage water treatment facilities. Hence, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) administration will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide basic amenities to these villages.
Initiated by the municipal commissioner G Sreekanth and Zilla Parishad’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vikas Meena, a meeting with sarpanchs, deputy sarpanchs, and gram sevaks of 35 villages (including 26 from the fringe area) was held on Tuesday morning at the Smart City headquarters to discuss effective implementation of solid waste management, water supply, and sewage treatment plants.
These villages have not developed adequately through the village panchayats. Therefore, the CSMC has decided to expand its development scope to provide basic amenities to these villages. The CSMC additional commissioner Ranjit Patil, Santosh Wahule, deputy commissioner (Solid Waste) Ravindra Jogdand, Project Director (ZP’s Jal Jeevan Mission) Rajendra Desale, executive engineer Ajit Waghmare, deputy CEO, extension officer, and expert consultants were present in the meeting.
Waste to CSMC
The CSMC administrator said, “ The 35 village panchayats will have to segregate wet and dry garbage waste and bring it to the municipal corporation's plants at Chikalthana, Padegaon, and Harsul for processing.” ZP-CEO Vikas Meena added, “ Controlling of waste in the villages is quite simple. Residents, shopkeepers, hotels, and housing societies along the main roads should develop the habit of segregating their waste at source.”
Sreekanth suggested taking punitive action if residents do not segregate their waste. Meanwhile, the sarpanch of Mandki demanded the removal of the Naregaon waste depot. In response, the administrator assured that all the legacy waste lying at the depot would be removed soon.
Wastewater treatment in every village
Although sewage treatment projects are being implemented in the 35 villages, drainage water is not being treated. The municipal corporation will provide technical assistance to set up small treatment plants. Later on, the treated water can then be used for agriculture, stressed the administrator.
Contaminated well water
The sarpanchs complained that the well water in Jhalta and Hirapur has been contaminated by the overflowing of excess sewage water from the CSMC’s sewage treatment plant in Chikalthana. The administrator assured them of looking into the matter on priority.
The sarpanchs also inspected the Smart City’s Integrated Command and Control Centre monitoring the 700 CCTV cameras installed in different parts of the city on the occasion.