Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday announced in the state assembly that a separate cell will soon be formed to address the waste management challenges faced by municipal corporations and municipalities across Maharashtra, reports The Hans India.
The announcement came in response to a question raised by BJP legislator Vijay Deshmukh. Legislators Abhimanyu Pawar and Arjun Khotkar also posed supplementary questions on the matter.
Shinde highlighted the ongoing waste management efforts in Solapur city, where Solapur Bioenergy Company Limited is handling daily waste scientifically. He noted that a 300-ton-per-day biogas plant is operating in the city, converting wet waste into biogas and fertiliser, while dry waste is segregated and sent to processing units.
“Proper segregation of waste at the municipal level is crucial,” Shinde said. “Instructions have already been issued to the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department to resolve issues faced by smaller municipal bodies. The state government will provide the necessary support wherever needed.”
He added that steps would be taken to ensure transparency in the decision-making process within municipalities. “The Principal Secretary will also be asked to verify the resolutions to ensure accountability and clarity,” he said.
Minister of State Madhuri Misal provided further details about Solapur’s situation, stating that garbage is collected door-to-door using bell carts. However, she admitted that garbage continues to pile up in certain slum areas despite these efforts. Currently, around seven lakh tons of waste are estimated to have accumulated in Solapur, out of which approximately five lakh tons have been collected so far.
In a separate discussion, Shinde also responded to a question by Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Bhaskar Jadhav regarding water supply work in Chakan under the Maharashtra Golden Jayanti Urban Redevelopment Mission.
He explained that the Chakan Municipal Council had received administrative approval for a district-level water supply project on February 24, 2024, and the work order was issued on March 13, 2024. Though the deadline has been extended to March 31, 2025, the Council has suggested imposing a penalty on the contractor for delays.
“Later, it was found that a separate work order for the same project had been issued under the state-level scheme,” Shinde said. “Following this, on May 13, 2025, instructions were given to stop the work under the state scheme, and no payments have been made from that account. A detailed inquiry will be conducted by the Divisional Commissioner to look into the matter.”
