Outcry of Punawale people: Massive two-wheelers rally against the proposed garbage depot!

Pune: ‘The Punavale waste depot reservation proposed by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation should be canceled and a waste treatment plant should be set up at an alternative site’; was the demand by participants of a huge rally of around 7000 bike riders. Local farmers along with society dwellers in the area participated spontaneously in this rally and protested against the administration. It was a historically biggest two-wheeler rally organized on such a large scale against any project. It truly created a wave at administrative and political level.

The municipal administration is going to set up a waste depot on the land of the forest department of the state government and within the boundaries of Punawale. Due to this, the societies and residents of Punawale, Tathawade, Marunji, Jambe, Hinjewadi, Life Republic Township, Wakad will be badly affected. This reservation of waste depot was made in the year 2000. Since then, the area has been largely developed and a number of housing projects and settlements is aroused around. The proposed garbage depot can harm the environment, the water bodies will get polluted. Also, the problem of civil health will arise.

Said two-wheeler rally and ‘Chipko’ movement were held on Sunday to protest against the above issue. Citizens participated with a great response. Huge tree cutting is also proposed here to set up the garbage depot. Chipko Movement, hugging the trees was carried out to protest this deforestation. This protest was organized in association with Pimpri-Chinchwad Cooperative Housing Societies Federation and Punawale Residents Association. The forest department has 26 hectares of land at Punavale. On demand by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, this place has been transferred to the Municipal Corporation.

Remove Garbage Depot…Save Punawale

People participated in two-wheeler rally with slogans like ‘Save Punawale ‘… ‘Remove Garbage Depot…Save Punawale’. They wore black shirts and a tied black ribbons on their arms to mark their protest against the administration. The rally started from Koyte Vasti and was concluded at Punawale forestry, travelling through Punawale village, Life Republic Society, Marunji, Vinodenagar, Bhumkar Chowk and Tathwade. Number of women participants in the rally was significant. This occasion marked the anger of the society dwellers against the proposed waste depot.