THANE: Several Diva residents along with local BJP leaders staged a sudden protest in the suburb, Monday morning, demanding immediate stopping of dumping trash here which they claimed was causing health hazards to locals and political apathy towards the issue in this stronghold of Shiv Sena (Balasaheb) led by chief minister Eknath Shinde.
The BJP protest in this stronghold of Shinde reflects the rising aggression between the two state allies in Thane suburbs. While the BJP blamed the political leadership here for failing to stop dumping in Diva and using the issue to only get political mileage, the Shiv Sena (Balasaheb) hit back dismissing the agitation as a feeble attempt to gain publicity.
A team led by Manohar Dumbre, former BJP group leader of BJP in the Thane House, accompanied by former corporators Milind Patankar and Narayan Pawar blocked path of trash-laden trucks to the dumpyard and also threatened to intensify their agitation if the administration failed to stop dumping in the suburb in the next ten days and operate a new facility at nearby Bhandarli.
It may be noted the Diva dumping yard was started in 2000 and presently accommodates a major chunk of the nearly 750 MT plus solid waste generated daily from the Thane corporation limits. Residents staying in the dense residential colonies which came up in the vicinity have been repeatedly complaining of health hazards due to stench and illegal burning of garbage in the yard. The corporation had announced in 2017 to shut the yard and operate a scientific trash disposal unit in the neighbouring Daighar area.
“We have been pursuing the issue for a very long time even though the yard is beyond saturation point. The corporation has been giving deadlines but the dumping continues posing health hazards to residents. The local leaders have used the issue to gain political mileage in the last few elections,” complained Rohidas Munde, Diva BJP chief.
Meanwhile, former deputy mayor Ramakant Madhavi, from Shiv Sena (Balasaheb) group dismissed the protests as nothing but a publicity stunt by the BJP. “They have been indirectly putting pressure to ensure the dumping continues here as they will lose out on an issue to harp on ahead of the municipal polls. Their (BJP) attempt has nothing to do with resident welfare but only to gain publicity,” said Madhavi.
