Over 10K residents raise a stink over indiscriminate dumping of garbage in Daighar village

Thane: The conflict between the waste management company and the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has led to significant issues for over 10,000 residents of Daighar village in the Thane district. For the past six months, the civic body has been dumping waste at a site designated for recycling near the village.
The contractor responsible for the recycling has failed to adhere to proper procedures, resulting in the site effectively becoming a dumping ground. In response to this improper management, the TMC has issued 20 show-cause notices to the contractor and halted their payments. Unfortunately, the lack of recycling efforts has severely impacted the local community, causing ongoing inconvenience and distress for residents.
On Friday, clashes erupted when civic officials attempted to forcibly move 67 garbage trucks into the plot. Tensions escalated on Saturday too as operators resisted orders to dump the garbage inside the premises, leading to an altercation. Villagers and local MLA Raju Patil are voicing their concerns and planning a major protest against TMC soon.
The site for the waste recycling plant is located next to the village, adjacent to two English schools, and surrounded by new residential complexes. Santosh Patil, a local resident who has been holding various positions in the Gram panchayat for 25 years, said the land was given by the collector to TMC in 2004 following which it was used for garbage disposal. Residents had then protested bringing the activity to a halt. “For the last six months, we were told that the land would be used for recycling. I’ve witnessed them bring in machines, but recycling never commenced. They lack electricity for the project, and garbage trucks from Diva and Thane are simply dumping waste here. We were promised that we wouldn’t have to deal with dirt or odour, but our health is suffering because of this situation,” said Patil.
Locals also claimed a lake has been contaminated due to waste mixing with the garbage.
Yogesh Patil, another resident, said, “The fish in the lake began dying a month ago because dirty water from the garbage got mixed due to rain. We are all experiencing health issues from the foul smell, with some villagers suffering allergic reactions. Children are forced to breathe in this pollution throughout school hours,” said Yogesh.
TMC officials are ready to discuss issues with the contractor. Manish Joshi, deputy commissioner of the solid waste management department, noted, “The project received ₹78 crore, and since 2016, all construction was approved by local villagers without opposition. While the site was meant for recycling, we’ve seen significant inefficiencies, prompting multiple show-cause notices. If the contractor can’t improve, it damages our credibility. Currently, we’re only transferring waste from smaller to larger vehicles, which then go to a different dumping ground. The lack of effective recycling has led to garbage accumulation.”
Thane Clean Environment Private Limited did not respond to a comment
Grounds for agitation
The Thane Municipal Corporation has not paid the operators managing the Daighar project. As a result, the operators have not compensated the relevant vendors, which has led to disruptions in the project’s operations. Vendors are opposing vehicles inside the dumping ground.
Local residents said on Friday, Rani Shinde, head of Thane’s Solid Waste Management Department, attempted to move and empty 67 garbage trucks from Mumbra, Diva areas. However, the vendors refused to enter the garbage vehicles due to unpaid salaries, leading deputy commissioner Manish Joshi to threaten police intervention. Local residents protested, blocking truck access, which resulted in municipal employees creating a queue of garbage vehicles on the road. Joshi then sent machinery to empty the trucks, but local opposition forced a withdrawal.
On Saturday, Joshi and other officials returned with about 40 staff, instructing drivers to operate the machines. The operators resisted, citing communication issues with their vehicle owners. During the confrontation, one operator was allegedly abused, and derogatory remarks were made about his caste, creating an atmosphere of intimidation. Another SC-ST driver also allegedly faced verbal abuse and threats from TMC officials.
The project manager at the dumping site, Kailas Dhumal, stated that their recycling machinery is inactive due to non-payment from the TMC. “We contractors haven’t received payment in a long time. We are owed around ₹4 crore for our work here, but despite repeated requests, the authorities have ignored us,” said Dhumal. “Meanwhile, we have to face the villagers’ anger over the garbage dumping. This time we have asked for payment and then we will start the machines, but authorities are ignoring that problem on the other hand the officers are beating our employees.”
TMC additional commissioner, Prashant Rode, said, “The TMC has assigned this project to Thane Clean Environment Private Limited. Due to the operators’ failure to process waste on time and their inability to meet the conditions and technical requirements set by the administration, they have not received compensation, and a notice has already been issued to them. Solid waste management is an essential service, and it is unacceptable for vendors or operators to jeopardise citizens’ health through negligence.”
DMC Joshi addressed the vendors’ halt of garbage collection, stating, “We assured them we would find a solution without involving their contracting company. Most agreed, except one Pune-based contractor, who we advised to take action after removing their vehicle. It’s illegal to stop dumping vehicles—eight days’ worth of garbage was stuck. We’re calling contractors and vendors for discussions to resolve these issues. We want to operate this plant, so the company should cooperate with us to improve recycling efficiency instead of obstructing our efforts.”