Harsul garbage plant to get scented makeover

5,000 fragrant trees to be planted around the processing centre

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Harsul garbage processing centre in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, has become a pungent point of contention for nearby residents. The two-month-old facility has been spewing foul odors, prompting residents and political parties to demand its relocation.

In a bid to mitigate the stench, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) has come up with a unique solution of planting 5,000 fragrant trees around the processing centre.

Planting for a purer breath

Following a memorandum submitted by residents and the Buland Chawa and Shiv Sena (Thackeray), CSMC administrator G Shreekanth visited the plant and initiated the tree-planting project. The garden department will be responsible for planting the fragrant flora, with a focus on jasmine and other aromatic varieties.

Work of digging pits underway

"The work of digging 5000 pits for the tree plantation is underway. Till now, 1000 pits have been dug," said chief garden superintendent Vijay Patil.

Garbage woes persist

The fragrant solution, however, is merely a stopgap measure for the larger issue of garbage management. Thousands of metric tons of waste lie unprocessed in Chikalthana, Padegaon, and Harsul, adding to the residents woes. To address this, the municipal administration has floated a tender worth Rs 66 crore for scientific garbage processing at the existing centres and Naregaon.