Solid Waste Management in Thane City – A Citizen’s Overview

Solid waste management is a major urban challenge, especially for a fast-growing city like Thane. With ever increasing population and continuous urban development, managing daily waste is both a necessity and a responsibility. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is in charge of handling this task, which involves collection, transport, disposal, and treatment of various kinds of waste.

How Much Waste is Thane Producing?

Thane city generates over 950 metric tons of solid waste every day. With this, Thane is among the top 5 cities in Maharashtra in solid waste generation. The solid waste includes wet waste (mostly food and organic waste) of 55% and dry waste (paper, plastic, glass, etc.) of 45%. The dry waste further consists of Plastics and Thermocol – 27.5%, Recyclables (paper, glass, metal, e-waste) – 35%, Miscellaneous (wood, clothes, rubber, furniture) – 35% and Non-biodegradable/inert waste – 2.5%

Additionally, the city generates Biomedical waste of Over 7 lakh kg per year from hospitals and clinics, Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste of around 150 tons per day.

Collection and Transportation

TMC manages waste collection with the help of over 650 workers (permanent and contract-based) and uses nearly 215 garbage vehicles, often called ‘Ghanta gadis’. These vehicles collect waste door-to-door and from public places. For street cleaning and additional waste collection, 20 private contractors provide 1,645 workers, with 1,200 focused on sweeping 236 km of roads, and others on garbage collection.

Thane reportedly achieves 100% collection of solid waste. About 75% of the collected waste is segregated (i.e., separated into wet and dry), and is processed in different facilities.

Where Does the Waste Go?

Currently, Thane does not have its own permanent dumping ground. Most waste is sent to a 15-hectare private site at Khardi in Mumbra Ward. Waste from Kalwa and Mumbra goes directly to Khardi. While waste from other areas is first gathered at C.P. Tank (a temporary transfer station) and then moved to Khardi using dump trucks. Around 700-750 tons are transported daily from C.P. Tank.

A modern waste transfer terminal is being developed at C.P. Tank to make this process faster and more efficient.

TMC has also earmarked three large land plots for waste disposal and processing. They are, Bhayandarpada – 8 hectares, Shil – 14.3 hectares and Dighar – 18.89 hectares. A plan to build a waste processing center at Dighar has been delayed for years due to public opposition.

Steps Taken for Waste Processing

Due to the lack of a large central facility, TMC has focused on decentralized solutions. These include, Small Bio/Vermi/Mechanical composting units. TMC currently operates 6 composting plants (70 MT/day total), 4 windrow composting units (100 MT/day total), wood waste briquetting plant (10 TPD), flower waste manure plant (3 TPD). A Waste-to-Energy plant (capacity 1000 TPD) is planned at Daighar.

Innovative Projects and Recycling Efforts

Plastic Waste: A state ban on plastic is in force. TMC conducts awareness campaigns and distributes alternatives like cloth bags. Fines are collected from violators. Plastic is sent to NGOs for recycling. 12 Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) help manage recyclable waste.

Nirmalya (Flower Waste): 120 tons of flower waste was converted into compost last year. A new site at Kopri STP will speed up this process using bio-culture.

Wood Waste to Briquettes: TMC supports a 10-ton/day project to turn tree waste and leaf litter into fuel briquettes. The city receives 1 ton of fuel free each day from the operator.

E-Waste: A project with a private firm provides 100 collection points for e-waste like batteries, phones, and electronics.

Construction Waste: A new plant (300 tons/day capacity) is being set up to recycle C&D waste into useful products like paver blocks and tiles. TMC has provided 5 acres of land for this Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project. Strict rules and penalties are in place for improper handling of construction waste.

Thermocol Recycling: A 1-ton/day capacity recycling plant is functioning at C.P. Talao.

Bio-CNG from Food Waste: A plant at Kalwa’s CSM Hospital turns hotel and market waste into Bio-CNG, in partnership with an NGO.

Dry Waste Collection Centers: TMC provides sheds and land to organizations for sorting and selling dry waste.

Property Tax Incentive: Housing societies that follow the 3R principle (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) get 5% concession on property tax.

Biomedical Waste Management

There are around 1,982 registered medical establishments in Thane. From this waste, infectious waste is incinerated at 850°C, plastics are treated in autoclaves, glass and sharp waste is chemically treated and recycled. A new plant for biomedical waste is coming up on 2 acres in Dighar, with improved technology and adherence to national guidelines.

Financial & Regulatory Measures

In 2017–18, 21% of TMC’s capital budget was allocated to waste and sewage management – a significant jump from the previous year. Fines have been proposed for littering and illegal dumping. A special squad of Cleanliness Marshals monitors these issues.

Thane produces a huge amount of solid waste every day – from households, hospitals, construction sites, and commercial establishments. The good news is that waste collection is highly efficient, and segregation and processing are steadily improving.

However, lack of a permanent dumping ground and delays in large-scale waste processing projects are key concerns. To overcome these, TMC has taken up several small and large initiatives, mostly through public-private partnerships. These include composting, recycling, plastic ban enforcement, and innovative projects like converting flower waste, wood, and food waste into useful products.

With public support, better infrastructure, and sustained awareness, Thane can become a model city for waste management in the coming years.

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