Kalyan residents celebrate Independence Day through hunger strike

On Independence day Kalyan residents sat on a hunger strike to seek freedom from 15 issues which plague the city. Some of these issues include freedom from potholes, bad roads, proper water supply, etc.

The 72nd Independence day was celebrated in a different manner by some of the Kalyan residents this year. On August 15 they sat on a hunger strike in front of the KDMC (Kalyan Dombivli Municipal corporation) to set Kalyan free from various problems.

"For years the city has been facing problems like potholes, bad roads, poor water supply, lack of proper solid waste management, etc.," says activist Shrinivas Ghanekar from Kalyan. "We have raised the issue with the KDMC as well as the commissioner many times but in vain. Hence, we have organised this chain hunger strike to get our demands met," says he.

Through this strike the residents want KDMC to do proper waste segregation, improve road conditions, have social audits of its various projects, rehabilitation of those affected by road widening the project, etc. For instance, the project affected people (PAPs) of Kalyan ring route has not been rehabilitated yet.

"Earlier we had property tax which was 47 per cent of the rateable value of a tenement. But five years back under the JNNURM scheme, they hiked it by 33 per cent. The tax hike should be rolled back, as we do not get any benefits," says Ghanekar.

Moreover, KDMC does not do proper waste segregation and there is no implementation of the solid waste management rule in the city.

"The Bombay high court, as well as the National green tribunal, had asked them to shut the Aadharwadi dumping ground. But KDMC said it will dispose of the waste where it is generated. Yet the garbage of Kalyan and Dombivli is dumped at Aadharwadi. It should stop," he says.