Lokayukta Demands CM Intervention in Boisar's Decades-Long Waste Crisis

For over twelve agonizing years, the residents of Boisar and its surrounding areas have been trapped in an environmental nightmare, grappling with the absence of a crucial Solid Waste Management (SWM) plant. The persistent neglect has transformed their home into a dumping ground, leading to severe health and ecological hazards.

In a pivotal move, the Maharashtra Lokayukta has now strongly urged the state government to bring the Chief Minister directly into the fold, demanding immediate and decisive action to break the bureaucratic logjam that has stalled this vital project for far too long.

Justice (retd) M L Tahaliyani, the Maharashtra Lokayukta, minced no words in his recommendation, highlighting the abject failure of various government departments to resolve the issue.

He pointedly instructed the state to involve the Chief Minister, emphasizing that such high-level intervention is indispensable to overcome the inter-departmental inertia and ensure the expeditious establishment of the Boisar SWM plant. The Lokayukta’s directive follows a comprehensive review of a complaint filed in 2017, which vividly detailed the plight of citizens forced to endure the stench and risks of illegally dumped waste.

The crux of the problem lies in the perennial struggle to acquire suitable land for the waste treatment facility.

Despite numerous attempts, the project has been repeatedly stymied by bureaucratic hurdles and a stark lack of coordination among crucial stakeholders including the Palghar collectorate, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Tarapur MIDC, Boisar Gram Panchayat, and the Urban Development Department.

This administrative paralysis has left the community defenseless against the mounting environmental degradation.

The Lokayukta’s report underscores the dire consequences of this delay: massive amounts of unprocessed waste are being routinely dumped in open areas and along roadsides, transforming scenic landscapes into unsightly, noxious landfills.

This unregulated disposal not only contaminates land and water sources but also poses grave health risks to thousands of residents, who daily breathe polluted air and contend with unhygienic conditions.

In a powerful statement, Justice Tahaliyani lamented the government's protracted inaction, asserting that citizens cannot be held hostage to administrative inefficiency.

He observed that the Chief Minister is ultimately responsible for ensuring the smooth functioning and coordination among departments. Therefore, the Lokayukta has proposed a high-level joint meeting, to be personally chaired by the Chief Minister, bringing together all involved departments and officials.

The objective: to decisively resolve the land acquisition quandary and fast-track the long-delayed Boisar SWM project to provide much-needed relief to the suffering populace.

This forceful intervention from the Lokayukta serves as a critical wake-up call, demanding accountability and an end to the bureaucratic indifference that has plagued Boisar for over a decade.

The hope now rests on the Chief Minister's direct involvement to finally turn the tide and deliver a sustainable solution to Boisar's escalating waste crisis.