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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.

Managing Medical Waste: How Thane’s Waste Facility Took Shape

What began as a simple idea has grown into a service that safeguards health and the environment across multiple districts.

In my earlier article, I explored the technologies and innovations shaping biomedical waste management in India — from advanced treatment plants such as Srjanam at AIIMS, New Delhi, to the grassroots efforts of Thane’s Enviro-Vigil NGO. These examples highlighted what was possible at a national and institutional level, showing how both high-tech interventions and community-driven initiatives are vital in addressing this complex challenge.


This time, I turn the lens closer to home to share our own journey in Thane. What began with limited experience but a strong resolve gradually evolved into a fully operational biomedical waste facility. From acquiring land and equipment to earning the trust of hospitals and doctors, the path was long and often difficult. Yet, with persistence, partnerships, and steady community support, we were able to transform a simple idea into a functioning service that today manages biomedical waste across multiple districts, touching the lives of thousands.


To collect and transport waste from hospitals, we made the decision to build our own fleet of vehicles. These were purchased one by one and converted as per the specifications provided by the authorities, ensuring that they were used exclusively for biomedical waste transportation. Each vehicle was equipped with GPS tracking so that movements could be monitored, adding transparency and accountability to our operations.


Meanwhile, our office was ready. We employed a few young and qualified people to run it. As operators and service providers, we had to charge fees to hospitals as per the rules. Convincing the doctors and occupiers about these charges was not easy, and we faced strong opposition.


However, through the timely intervention of the highly respected surgeon, the late Dr H. S. Bhanushali, and the strong networking efforts of Dr Vikas Hajirnis, we managed to persuade most doctors, who eventually joined our facility. Until 2006, only a few hundred hospitals were registered with us. But as our genuine efforts to handle hospital waste efficiently and protect the environment gained recognition, our membership steadily grew.


The MPCB later permitted us to collect waste from hospitals within a 150 km radius. Our services expanded to Vasai-Virar, Nalasopara, Mira-Bhayandar, and further to Pen, Alibag, Murud-Janjira, Khopoli, and Pali. Within a few years, the number of registered hospitals and clinics grew to over 3,500 by 2010.


With this expansion, the volume of waste increased significantly, and we had to hire additional staff to operate our machinery. A few qualified engineers also joined the team. By 2022, we had over 60 employees working exclusively for the biomedical waste treatment facility, alongside our office staff. What began as a service soon turned into a profit-making venture, far beyond our expectations.


Throughout this journey, we remained committed to educating and sensitising young minds about environmental challenges. We established a School of Environment for children and citizens and launched a monthly publication, Aapla Paryavaran. Several awareness campaigns, activities, and competitions followed, conducted in innovative ways. Our biomedical waste treatment facility provided strong financial support to run all these social initiatives.


In [year], we organised a two-day International Conference for SAARC countries, exclusively on Biomedical Waste Management, in collaboration with Thane Municipal Corporation and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. It was a great success.


During the historical flooding on 26th July 2005, the common biomedical facility established for the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation was completely submerged and had to shut down. We took on the responsibility of treating hospital waste from KDMC’s jurisdiction for almost three months until their facility was restored. There are many such instances where we stepped forward to fulfil our social and moral responsibilities.


Our facility was also the first hospital waste management centre in India to be recognised with ISO 9001 certification—twice, in 2005 and 2008. We went on to receive the Good Green Governance (G-Cube) Award from Srishti Publications, New Delhi, on two occasions.


Hold on… more interesting stuff to come. Till then, have a great weekend!


(The author is an environmentalist. Views Personal.)

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