Residents of Morekuran and parts of central and northern Palghar are facing persistent foul odour from untreated waste stored at the Morekuran dumping site, according to a report published on September 8. Local representatives have told the Palghar Municipal Council that sewage and faecal waste are also being discharged into a drain at the site.
The issue was raised by Morekuran sarpanch Dhiraj Sankhe and gram panchayat members during a meeting with Palghar Municipal Council president Uttam Gharat. The delegation expressed concern over the odour, the reported spread of flies and the possible impact on local health and drinking-water sources.
According to the report, sewage containing human waste has allegedly been discharged directly into the dumping-ground drain for around four months. Local representatives told the municipal council that the practice had affected a water source used by residents. The report did not provide independent test results or details of any official water-quality assessment.
Palghar’s waste-collection contract requires wet and dry waste to be collected separately and wet waste to be composted. Municipal officials have attributed the continued accumulation of mixed waste to a lack of public cooperation and insufficient space for composting. As a result, waste collected from the city is reportedly being stored at the Morekuran site without processing.
The municipal council had started biomining work at the end of April to process and segregate accumulated waste. The work was subsequently delayed after the onset of rain, according to the report. Although some internal roads at the dumping ground have been constructed, waste-carrying vehicles reportedly cannot reach the far end of the site. They are therefore unloading waste along the internal road, after which machinery is used to shift the wet waste. Municipal officials said this activity was contributing to the foul odour.
Gharat said the council was consulting experts on reducing the odour and would use spraying and other measures to control it until the monsoon ended. He also assured the Morekuran delegation that the council would carry out spraying at least once a week around homes in Morekuran, particularly in the Kharelpada area.
The municipal president directed officials to take action against contractors and concerned employees if tankers were found discharging toilet sewage in the open without permission or prior notice. The report did not state whether any enforcement action had already been taken.
The council has also begun construction of a new shed for processing wet waste. It plans to repair and restart the faecal sludge treatment plant at the dumping ground. Gharat said biomining would resume after the monsoon, when the accumulated waste is expected to be segregated and disposed of.
