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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This...

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This development, confirmed by high-ranking party insiders, follows the realization that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) effectively ceded its claims on the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to protect the alliance, facilitating a “Mumbai for BJP, Kalyan for Shinde” power-sharing formula. The compromise marks a complete role reversal between the BJP and the Shiv Sena. Both the political parties were in alliance with each other for over 25 years before 2017 civic polls. Back then the BJP used to get the post of Deputy Mayor while the Shiv Sena always enjoyed the mayor’s position. In 2017 a surging BJP (82 seats) had paused its aggression to support the undivided Shiv Sena (84 seats), preferring to be out of power in the Corporation to keep the saffron alliance intact. Today, the numbers dictate a different reality. In the recently concluded elections BJP emerged as the single largest party in Mumbai with 89 seats, while the Shinde faction secured 29. Although the Shinde faction acted as the “kingmaker”—pushing the alliance past the majority mark of 114—the sheer numerical gap made their claim to the mayor’s post untenable in the long run. KDMC Factor The catalyst for this truce lies 40 kilometers north of Mumbai in Kalyan-Dombivali, a region considered the impregnable fortress of Eknath Shinde and his son, MP Shrikant Shinde. While the BJP performed exceptionally well in KDMC, winning 50 seats compared to the Shinde faction’s 53, the lotter for the reservation of mayor’s post in KDMC turned the tables decisively in favor of Shiv Sena there. In the lottery, the KDMC mayor’ post went to be reserved for the Scheduled Tribe candidate. The BJP doesn’t have any such candidate among elected corporatros in KDMC. This cleared the way for Shiv Sena. Also, the Shiv Sena tied hands with the MNS in the corporation effectively weakening the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s alliance with them. Party insiders suggest that once it became clear the BJP would not pursue the KDMC Mayor’s chair—effectively acknowledging it as Shinde’s fiefdom—he agreed to scale down his demands in the capital. “We have practically no hope of installing a BJP Mayor in Kalyan-Dombivali without shattering the alliance locally,” a Mumbai BJP secretary admitted and added, “Letting the KDMC become Shinde’s home turf is the price for securing the Mumbai Mayor’s bungalow for a BJP corporator for the first time in history.” The formal elections for the Mayoral posts are scheduled for later this month. While the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—led by the Shiv Sena (UBT)—has vowed to field candidates, the arithmetic heavily favors the ruling alliance. For Eknath Shinde, accepting the Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai is a tactical retreat. It allows him to consolidate his power in the MMR belt (Thane and Kalyan) while remaining a partner in Mumbai’s governance. For the BJP, this is a crowning moment; after playing second fiddle in the BMC for decades, they are poised to finally install their own “First Citizen” of Mumbai.

Giving Plastic a Second Life: From Hazard to Resource

Instead of letting plastic waste reach landfills, we recycled it into reusable materials, turning a hazard into a resource for the circular economy.

In my earlier article, I shared how our biomedical waste facility in Thane grew from humble beginnings into a recognised, multi-district service network. But the journey was about more than just machines and compliance. Alongside building a state-of-the-art treatment centre, we transformed the surrounding debris-strewn land into a thriving green space—what would become Ankur Theme Park. This initiative turned barren soil into a living classroom, where students, citizens, and environmental enthusiasts could learn directly from nature, explore innovative waste management techniques, and witness sustainable practices in action.

Our commitment to sustainability extended from greening the land to managing hospital waste responsibly, particularly medical-grade plastics that could be recycled rather than discarded.”

Recognising their potential, what began as a simple need to manage waste responsibly evolved into a full-fledged journey: setting up recycling units, upgrading facilities, and navigating regulatory and operational challenges over the years.

Various plastic items or devices used in hospitals during treatment are made from high-quality, medical-grade plastics, including polycarbonates, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Generally, these are collected and transported in red-coloured bags to the common facility and sent to the landfills after proper treatment. This results in the loss of precious resources. This plastic can be recycled and reused following a circular economy path.

When we realised the importance of this plastic, we started our own plastic waste recycling unit in Murbad MIDC after obtaining all the necessary permissions and authorisations from the concerned authorities. Our team used to disinfect plastic waste received in red bags from the hospitals in an autoclave. Such disinfected plastic was then shredded into pieces in a mechanical shredder.

These pieces were then stored in gunny bags and transported to our own recycling unit. For operating this plant, we had employed a few people from the Murbad tribal area. After the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, came into force, operators were allowed to collect biomedical waste from hospitals within a 75 km radius. New facilities were subsequently established in Vasai-Virar and other areas.

By 2013, we wanted to replace our incinerator, as it had almost reached the end of its life. We wanted to buy a new machine with modern technology. As per the rules, we now needed a bigger place for the installation of new machines. We applied to the concerned authorities in Thane Municipal Corporation for a suitable plot and to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for authorisation to install new machines, particularly the incinerator.

As per the law, the Thane Municipal Corporation was responsible for providing suitable land. We were allotted a plot of about three acres in size in Daighar, near the ShilPhata area. All paperwork was done. We got the land in our possession and started planning for erecting the required infrastructure on that plot. We hired an architect and started working on it. However, one fine day, suddenly, we were asked to surrender the plot, as the said plot is to be allotted to a company for their highly ambitious waste-to-energy project. We were stunned and unsure how to proceed.

Then the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic struck humanity all over the world. The number of patients admitted to hospitals due to coronavirus infection started growing. In that proportion, the volume of infectious waste also started growing. This waste comprised of personal protective robes, gowns, masks, and other disposables, which were extremely hazardous.

Our workload increased manifold, as this was in addition to our regular workload. All our workers did an amazing job working almost around the clock to make sure that the waste was properly treated. To our surprise, none of our workers caught the coronavirus infection.

By the time the pandemic was over, we received a notice from MPCB asking us to stop the work in this facility because we were not taking any measures to upgrade our systems. We pleaded that unless TMC provides us with suitable land as required by the law, we cannot upgrade our system.

MPCB and TMC went on tossing the ball in each other’s courts, and finally, in 2022, with heavy hearts, we were compelled to close down our facility.


(The author is an environmentalist. Views personal.)

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