Along Mutha banks at Balewadigaon, a problem of toxic e-waste fires

For several months now, residents in Balewadi have been complaining of smoke and fumes emanating from waste burning sites along the Mutha river’s banks in Balewadigaon.

The smoke can be seen from hundreds of metres away and has impacted housing societies along both banks of the river.
“They are burning garbage along the banks opposite to Chonde Patil lawns almost every day,” said one resident of a housing society in the area.
A walk along the banks revealed foam, plastic and other such synthetic waste being set on fire a few metres from the river. A worker who was seen setting the trash ablaze said the practice has been on for the past few years.
He added that a large volume of waste came from nearby software companies. Among the material being burnt by him was a printer, insulated wires, plastic sheets and foam.“We have been burning this waste here every day for the last few years,” he said.
Another resident TOI spoke to said he has seen thick smoke billowing from the area on several occasions.
“They’re burning some types of industrial equipment and waste along the river banks. I have also seen construction material and office equipment from the nearby private firms burning near the river. This is synthetic stuff and the fumes are toxic. An entire ecosystem here is at stake,” he said.
Some residents said the open burning happens throughout the day. “I have been seeing smoke almost every day, often in the evening. They make sure to hide the waste burning behind the trees, so that people won’t be able to see what is going on from the left bank of the river,” he said.
The Mutha’s banks along Balewadigaon are not new to controversy. The ghat area is a popular idol immersion site. But over the past few months, the location has become the preferred dumping ground for local residents.
In December, TOI had carried a report highlighting the troubling state of the river due to garbage accumulation at several spots near it. Local residents alleged that a mismanaged garbage disposal system had led them to dump the garbage along the river.
Days after the TOI report, workers from the PMC carried out a clean-up at the site but many who live nearby said such measures by the civic body would only have temporary impact. They urged the PMC to implement longterm measures to ensure garbage was not brought to the river’s banks in the first place.
“This is also a waste transportation problem. Why are things such as printers ending up here? The PMC has provisions for ewaste disposal. Obviously, there are companies that have ignored how their e-waste is processed. This is a problem then of awareness too,” said Meera Raghunath, a resident of Balewadi.
Others insisted the PMC take legal action against companies who cause environmental pollution in the area. “Rivers need a ‘protection zone’ that extends a few kilometres along it,” said Deepak Andhare, an IT worker who lives in Balewadi.
“The PMC should ensure nothing that is discarded enters this protection zone. Anyone found violating this space should be penalised. A policy should be framed that guarantees action against IT firms caught illegally disposing of hazardous E-waste. There are thousands of such companies in the city that are not linked to an electronic waste disposal network. A clear policy will ensure an officer printer does not end up being set on fire near a river,” said Andhare.
According to the PMC, e-waste is classified as a hazardous waste because it contains many toxic ingredients including halogenated compounds PCBs and heavy metals. Pune region — including Pune city, Pimpri Chinchwad, the cantonment areas around Pune and the IT belt in Hinjewadi — generates around 10,000 MT of electronic waste every year.
Dnyaneshwar Molak, head of the PMC’s solid waste management department said: “We will levy fines on violators. They will have to pay Rs 500 for a one-time offence. We have imposed fines whenever people have been found burning waste. It’s very wrong and harmful to set e-waste ablaze near a river.”