The Maharashtra state government has made it mandatory for the civic bodies to set aside at least 50 per cent of funds received from the 14th finance commission for open defecation and poor solid waste management that has become a serious concern in smaller cities in Maharashtra.

Though Maharashtra shifts to an urban ecosystem, registering an urbanisation of 45.23 per cent in the 2011 census—the third highest in India—poor solid waste management, lack of sanitation and sewerage facilities and environmental degradation remain some weak links in this unplanned shift. A report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on local bodies for the year ended March 31, 2014, submitted to the state legislature during the recent monsoon session, pointed to serious lacunae in the delivery of three basic civic services--water supply, solid waste management and sewage management--by 36 municipal councils. It also pointed to how biomedical waste (BMW) was not being disposed off in a scientific manner.

The first tranche of the finance commission's funds worth Rs. 595.62 crore have been allocated to these urban local bodies and officials said this would be distributed to individual institutions based on their population and area. Maharashtra has 26 municipal corporations, of which 18 belong to the D class, 226 municipal councils and 13 Nagar Panchayats in addition to seven cantonment boards. "All D class municipal corporations, municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats will have to set aside at least 50% of the funds received from the finance commission for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan," said a senior official from the state urban development department. He added that the money will have to be used for ending open defecation, collection, transport and processing of solid waste and urban forestation. The funds will only be allocated to these smaller cities and towns.

"This is the first installment. This will also apply to the other installments of the urban local body grant allocated later by the finance commission for these municipal bodies," the official added. Manisha Mhaiskar, principal secretary of the state urban development department, admitted that many towns did not have garbage collection facilities. She added that now, these local bodies would have to attain 100% garbage collection, transportation and disposal. Municipal bodies would give a supplementary grant of Rs 5,000 per beneficiary in addition to the Rs 12,000, which is being presently given. The beneficiaries will have to contribute the remaining amount incurred for the construction of these toilets.