The CAG went in for a performance audit of three basic civic services (water supply, solid waste management and sewage management) by 36 MCs between February and August 2014 covering the period 2011-14.
- Except one municipal council (MC) none of the audited local bodies segregated municipal solid waste (MSW) at source or at landfill sites.
- Unprocessed solid waste is being dumped in the landfill sites in a non-environment-friendly manner or directly in the pits or near waterbodies and roadsides.
- Inadequate sewage collection and disposal systems where waste water is connected either to open drains or stormwater drains leading to the nearby rivers.
- Some MCs did not have the list or details of health units functioning and generating bio-medical waste (BMW) within their jurisdiction and in the remaining MCs, 39% are not treating this waste, thus, exposing humans and animals to health hazards.
Maharashtra may be sitting on a municipal solid waste, sewerage and bio-medical waste bomb, an explosion of which may have serious repercussions on the people and its ecology. As Maharashtra gradually shifts to an urban milieu, registering an urbanisation of 45.23% in the 2011 census — the third highest in India — this reality check points to the danger of this unplanned shift.
A report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on local bodies for the year ended March 31, 2014, which was submitted in the state legislature, points to serious lacunae in the delivery of basic civic services by MCs. The CAG went in for a performance audit of three basic civic services (water supply, solid waste management and sewage management) by 36 MCs between February and August 2014 covering the period 2011-14.
Audit observed that except Panvel MC, none of the others have any mechanism to weigh or dispose of the MSW being collected from residential and commercial establishments every day, in an environment-friendly manner in the designated landfill sites. "The disposal of MSW in an unscientific manner may have an adverse impact on groundwater and quality of air," the report said.
"…all the 35 MCs were dumping unprocessed MSW either in the available landfill sites or unauthorisedly directly in the pits, on the roadsides or near waterbodies," the report said, adding that 13 MCs were operating slaughter houses in an unauthorised manner without consent from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. As a result, effluents discharged were released into open drains, ultimately flowing into waterbodies, causing pollution.
None of these councils had 100% access to individual or community toilets and the coverage of properties having access to individual or community toilets ranged between 47% (Washim) and 98% (Ratnagiri).
At Alandi and Bhusawal, the underground sewage network was very old and non-functional as of October 2014 and the sewage generated was flowing into nearby waterbodies.
As per the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 (BMW Rules), each health unit such as hospital, clinic, laboratory, blood bank in the jurisdiction of an MC must dispose of BMW (blood, soiled cottons, syringes and catheters) scientifically on their own or through an agency. Otherwise, it may create or transfer diseases to others.
However, eight of the 36 MCs did not have the list of health units functioning and generating BMW within their jurisdiction. In 17 of the remaining 28 MCs, 1,161 health units were functioning, but only 712 (61%) were treating BMW.
"(Thus) 39% of the health units were not treating BMW thus, exposing people and animals to health hazards. In the remaining 11 MCs, all health units were treating BMW as per rules," the report noted.
Though biogas plants were established in five of the 36 MCs at Rs2.26 crore between May 2006 and August 2013, they could not be put to optimal use due to repair and maintenance problem, lack of demand for the end product (cooking gas).
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