Residents of Thane are facing severe difficulties due to the foul smell emanating from the garbage transfer center in CP Talaw. On Friday, their ordeal worsened when a major fire broke out at the site, spreading black smoke across the locality.

Following the incident, workers from the Shiv Sena-led Eknath Shinde faction expressed outrage and demanded that the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) halt garbage dumping at the site and relocate the facility.

Allegedly, they also warned the contractor that allowing garbage vans to dump trash at the site would have consequences. As a result, TMC officials confirmed that, on Sunday, garbage vans were redirected to another location before being transferred to the Daighar processing plant.

MP Naresh Mhaske, from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, visited the site on Saturday and questioned officials about the persistent foul smell. He was seen confronting them aggressively.

According to TMC officials, the CP Talaw garbage transfer center serves as an interim site where waste is brought in mini vehicles, dumped temporarily, and then loaded onto heavy vehicles for transfer to the Daighar processing plant.

Despite this arrangement, locals claim that a significant amount of garbage remains at the site, making it difficult to breathe clean air. They are demanding its complete relocation.

Manish Joshi, Deputy Municipal Commissioner of TMC, stated, "We are exploring decentralized stations in different wards of TMC limits and are working on a solution."