Thane Municipal Corporation to offer 10% rebate to boost Solid Waste Management

The Thane Municipal Corporation's (TMC) decision of speaking to Thane residents over the solid waste management issue seems to have borne fruit. On Saturday, TMC officials agreed to provide housing society members with space for solid waste management needs.

This meeting broke a four-month silence between Thanekars and TMC, with the latter agreeing to discuss SWM issues. An impasse had been building from June this year, with the civic body allegedly trying to impose the responsibility of SWM on the citizens.

As per the TMC's June decision, housing societies measuring 5,000 sq.m and above, and generating 100 kilograms of waste or more, were expected to manage their own waste. The Thane Citizens Foundation (TCF), a forum of over 1,000 societies, tried having a dialogue, but to no avail. It was only after the TCF members threatened to go to court that the civic body blinked and agreed to meet them.

Following the meeting, the TMC told societies that societies that do SWM will get a 10 per cent incentive in property tax. "If TMC provides us space, technology and incentive, we will use that rebate in setting up SWM plants, manpower, etc," TCF president Kasber Augustine said.