How BMC is killing Mumbai
The civic body has imposed heavy penalties on residents for not segregating waste, and the dumped untreated waste itself at Deonar.
Afroz Shah was given the United Nations' Champion of the Earth 2016 award for removing hundreds of tonnes of waste and filth from Mumbai's Versova beach but there was little that came as reward for him from the one civic agency whose work he was making simpler - the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Tasked with keeping Mumbai clean, the BMC, instead of ensuring that Shah is encouraged to do the back-breaking work that he is doing, failed to come to his rescue when local goons decided to hamper his efforts. Shah took to Twitter and expressed his anguish.
Week 109 cleanup.Volunteers abused by goons for picking up garbage.Administrative lethargy,non clearance of picked up garbage and abuses is what we are https://t.co/ydEzp638C6 largest beach cleanup is suspended.Tried my best and I failed.Forgive me my ocean and my country. pic.twitter.com/XdFJMfZNeV
— Afroz Shah (@AfrozShah1) November 19, 2017
Realising that public sentiment was with Afroz Shah, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attempted damage-control and put pressure on the BMC to get its act together. Reluctantly, the BMC promised action. It is hard to imagine that a lawyer, who takes out time to clean a beach - that is the BMC's job - has to literally cry for help.
It is the same civic agency that was reluctant in helping a volunteer resident, who demanded that heavy fines be imposed on those who don't segregate the waste they generate. In July this year, the BMC issued a circular according to which, housing societies/complexes occupying a carpet area of over 20,000 square metres will be solely responsible for disposing dry and wet garbage.
The cost of the organic waste converter required to dispose of or recycle such garbage is about Rs 5 lakh per unit, which will have to be borne by those living in the society. As majority of the housing societies and complexes are more than 35 years old and have little or no open spaces, it will be impossible to install the machinery required for disposal of wet garbage. If the wet garbage is not disposed of properly, it would lead to stench and could become a reason for serious health hazards and epidemic-like situation for the residents.
The BMC's lethargy and habit of "passing the buck" is significant here too. In case the housing societies do not comply with the rules, BMC proposes imposing a heavy penalty. While residents of all societies are willing to cooperate in the waste segregation efforts, the BMC cannot be allowed to shirk its responsibility of collecting both wet and dry garbage from the premises of all housing societies.
The BMC Act of 1888, Section 61 (a), makes it clear that it is the sole responsibility of the civic body to collect waste and dispose it. Also, the BMC Act of 1888, Section 61 (c), states that scavenging and the removal and disposal of other filthy matters, and of all ashes, refuse and rubbish is solely the job of the civic body.
It gets worse here. BMC wants residents to separate dry and wet garbage but it has dumped close to 100 tonnes of untreated, wet waste at the infamous Deonar dumping ground over the past three months. One rule for the residents, and another one for the BMC.
This dumping is reflective of a few things: a) BMC has contradicted its own ruling. b) It has ignored the Supreme Court order that demands an alternative dumping ground for Mumbai. c) It has endangered the lives of Mumbaikars because Deonar has seen massive fires in the past due to indiscriminate dumping that has resulted in high pollution levels and diseases in the city.
I just want to say this to BMC - you don't help a person like Afroz Shah, you will impose fines on people if they don't do "your job" and then you will do exactly what you are asking people not to do.
BMC, you are killing Mumbai.