Uruli, Phursungi villagers to continue fight against waste

PUNE: Residents of

Uruli

Devachi and

Phursungi

on Wednesday said the

merger

decision was on the expected lines while expressing hope that it will pave way for development in their areas in the coming years, which “they had been deprived of for a long time”.

Located on Pune-Saswad Road, both these villages have been in the limelight because of frequent agitations over the garbage depot. The villagers have been demanding closure of the garbage depot and provision of infrastructural facilities by the

PMC

in the villages.

The state government has now indicated that both these villages, along with the garbage depot, will be merged in the PMC limits in the next few months. “We are now looking forward to a positive outcome from the merger. We expect better infrastructural services and overall development, which we have been deprived of for a long time,” the villagers said.

Bhagwan Bhadale, a resident of Uruli and leader of

Kachara Virodhi Sangharsha Samiti

, said the government’s move was expected and villagers welcome it.

He, however, said the fight against garbage dumping will continue. “The merger is an administrative process. Our fight is against unscientific dumping and it will continue. The villagers have already approached the National Green Tribunal about the garbage depot and open dumping. The PMC will have to follow NGT’s instructions,” Bhadale said.

Dilip Mehta from Phursungi said the garbage depot was a major obstacle in the development of both these villages. “Now, PMC will have to deal with the existing garbage depot and with the garbage generated in both these villages every day,” he said.