Ravet residents oppose PCMC waste-to-energy plant near Durga Tekdi, vow to intensify agitation

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has proposed setting up a waste-to-energy plant on land near Ravet and Durga Tekdi. Local residents have begun a strong protest against it. The proposal came up for waste management after the incident at the Moshi garbage depot. Citizens have voiced concern over pollution and health risks. Asking angrily, "Why are you playing with our lives?", housing societies and residents of Ravet and Nigdi Pradhikaran have declared a fight against the administration.

After the Moshi depot incident, the civic body began looking for alternative sites to process about 1,500 tonnes of waste collected in the city every day. The administration then started moving to set up a 27 MW plant on 25 acres of MIDC land next to the water purification plant at Ravet. However, the site is very close to a residential area, the water purification plant and Durga Tekdi, a hill that is important for the environment. This has spread fear and strong resentment among people.

According to residents, the whole of Nigdi Pradhikaran and Ravet is known as a quiet, developed residential area. They feel that if a waste plant comes up near such a neighbourhood, the risk of foul smell, air pollution and serious illness will rise and people's health will be endangered. Environmentalists have said that building such a plant near the water purification plant, which supplies water to lakhs of citizens, is extremely dangerous.

Earlier, residents of Punawale had defeated the reservation for a garbage depot planned there through a strong public agitation. The administration then brought up the Ravet option. Following Punawale, a wave of anger has now risen in Ravet as well. Residents of Ravet, Nigdi and Pradhikaran have also organised themselves. They have taken a firm stand that the Moshi incident will not be allowed to repeat in their area.

A special meeting of citizens has been called on behalf of the "Kachra Depo Virodhi Kruti Samiti, Nigdi Pradhikaran" to decide the next course of action against the proposed plant. The meeting will be held on Saturday, October 24, at 5.30 pm at Dnyanaprabodhini school in Nigdi. The entry to the school is through Manohar Gate. The committee and local residents have said they will build a democratic fight and intensify the agitation until the project is cancelled.