Taking a step ahead in bringing about transparency in disposal of the toxic waste, the new operator of the facility at Kailas crematorium has planned to install a virtual private network (VPN) to strengthen the surveillance system.

The technology will enable the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) as well as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to keep a close eye on activities of the facility at any given time with the help of an IP address from the desktops of their offices. The facility is set to get functional in three months' time.

It may be recalled that the MPCB had issued a notice of closure to the facility run by Sun Enviro Management Pvt Ltd Solutions after a fire claimed seven workers' lives in September last year. It was found that lack of monitoring system had paved way for illegal activities, which led to the fire.

"The previous mishap was the result of virtually non-existent surveillance system. That's why we have decided to bring more transparency. The officers of the PMC and the MPCB can now watch each and every activity at the facility from their offices. We have also decided to save the recording as per requirements in hard-disks for future references," said Pradeep Mulay, one of the directors of Passco Environment Solution private limited (PESPL), the new operator given charge of running the facility after upgradation.

Elaborating on other measures taken to bring transparency, Sunil Dandawate, one of the directors of PESPL said, "We will also start a vehicle tracking system so that all hospitals attached to the facility will be able to check the position of BMW collection vehicle and assess how much time will it take to reach their establishment. This will help them keep their waste ready."

Similarly, the PESPL has also installed an electronic weighing scale along with bar code scanning in their collection vehicles to eliminate hassles over BMW weight. "This has eliminated manual intervention. It doesn't allow tampering with the weight. We have been using this system for the last six months now," said Mulay.

P K Mirashe, regional officer of the MPCB said, "The VPN technology and e-tracking of collection vehicles will definitely strengthen the surveillance system, if implemented properly. The IP address provided by the company can be accessed from any part of the world. This will eventually bring transparency and promote better management of the facility."