Waste management: BMC starts issuing notices to societies

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started issuing notices to housing societies that are using areas demarcated for composting units on their premises for other purposes. Apart from his, 120 societies will face action under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act and complaints against 222 others have been registered with the Maharashtra Pollution Control board (MPCB), officials said.

At the monthly review meeting with all ward officers on Saturday, BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta instructed the Assistant Municipal Commissioner of all 24 wards to take stringent action against those who were not composting wet waste.

In June, the civic body made it mandatory for all housing societies and hotels that produce over 100 kg of waste daily or have an area of or above 20,000 sq m to start segregating garbage and compost wet waste from October 2. The societies and hotels were asked to set up composting units on the premises. Many requested for an extension. The BMC has extended the deadline upto January.

The BMC had issued notices to 3,376 societies warning them to start segregating waste. The notices were issued under the Greater Mumbai Cleanliness and Sanitation Bye-Laws -2006 making it mandatory for housing societies to segregate dry and wet waste and treat it.

Of the 3,376 societies, 538 have already started segregating and composting wet waste and 1,320 societies have sought more time. “We have identified around 249 societies across all wards that have neither started composting waste nor have sought for an extension to do so. The societies will face action,” said a senior BMC official.

According to data tabled during the meeting, around 120 societies have been issued notices under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act for using space demarcated for composting units for other purposes. “We are also planning to take action against the societies under sections 368, 371 and 372 of the Municipalities Act, which deals with solid waste management,” said a senior civic official. Of these 120, 22 societies have sought time to resolve the issue and set composting units on demarcated areas.

The civic body has also reported against 222 societies to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. The BMC has also taken up an initiative to help societies that face space constraint to set up compost units on the premises. The civic body is exploring the possibility of allowing private societies to compost wet waste at municipal markets in all wards. The civic body is planning to set up composting units in space available in BMC-owned market buildings that would enable societies near the markets or those facing space constraint to use the facility after paying. Mehta has asked all zonal deputy municipal commissioners to draw up other plans to help societies that are willing to set up composting units but are unable to do so due to space constraint. Officials are expected to submit their plans in the next 15 days.
Flood-prone areas

The BMC has identified 98 flood-prone areas in the city. BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta has directed all ward officials to draw up a concrete plan to make the areas flood-proof. While 37 spots are in city, 34 are in eastern suburbs and 27 are in the western suburbs.Work on making these spots flood proof has already started, and while tenders for a few have been invited.