Business Reporter :
NAGPUR’S MIDC Hingna, one
of the major industrial areas of
the region, now finds itself overwhelmed by an escalating waste
management crisis. Today, it
faces an entirely different challenge — rampant and
unchecked garbage dumping.
The deteriorating situation has
transformed vacant plots into
unofficial dumping grounds,
seriously undermining both the
industrial and residential wellbeing of the area.
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
(Clean India Mission), a national initiative launched by the
Government, aims to tackle precisely these kinds of sanitation
and cleanliness issues.
However, despite the emphasis on clean public spaces and
better waste management systems, MIDC Hingna remains
trapped in a vicious cycle of
neglect and environmental
degradation. Industrialists and
residents alike are bearing the
brunt of a system that is
struggling to cope with the
sheer volume of waste produced every day.
“Over the years, MIDC
Hingna has witnessed an unrelenting increase in the amount
of garbage dumped in the area.
With no organised waste management infrastructure in place,
any available vacant space has
been turned into an informal
dumping ground. Industrial
units, unable to find any other
options, have resorted to disposing of their waste in these
plots. Nearby residential areas,
too, contribute to this mess,
further compounding the problem,” said P Mohan, President
of MIDC Industries Association.
A particularly glaring example of this problem can be seen
at the half-kilometer stretch
near Bansi Nagar Chowk, which
has become a dumping point
for both local residents and factories. The waste found here is
a chaotic mix—feathers from
slaughtered chickens, food leftovers from nearby eateries,
heaps of plastic sacks, packaging materials, and a range of
industrial waste from factories.
The accumulation of garbage
in these vacant plots is not just
an aesthetic issue; it has severe
repercussions for the health
and environment of the area.
Over time, the garbage is
burned to make space for more
waste, releasing harmful pollutants into the air.
One of the key reasons for this
growing garbage crisis is the
lack of coordinated responsibility between the various
authorities that oversee the
area. The majority of the MIDC
Hingna estate falls under the
jurisdiction of village panchayats. Despite this, the local
panchayats have largely
remained indifferent to the
worsening situation. There has
been little to no action on their
part to either prevent dumping or to facilitate garbage collection and treatment.
The lack of proper infrastructure for waste collection,
coupled with administrative
apathy, has led to unchecked
dumping in public spaces.
Factories and industries, which
generate substantial amounts
of waste, have no option but todispose of it wherever they canfind space. Residential areasnearby also contribute to theproblem, as the growing population adds to the burden without any waste disposal systemin place to handle it.
The waste management
issue in MIDC Hingna is notjust a question of cleanliness—it has severe environmental
and public health implications.
As garbage continues to pile upin open spaces, it becomes abreeding ground for pests,
insects, and disease-carryingvectors such as mosquitoes.
This is particularly concerningduring the monsoon seasonwhen rainwater mixes with thegarbage, creating an ideal environment for mosquitoes thatspread diseases like dengueand malaria.
The waste management crisis in MIDC Hingna is not insurmountable, but it requires coordinated and swift action fromvarious stakeholders