Mumbai: Garbage has been relegated to the ‘underworld’ at two spots in the city. On a trial basis, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has installed underground dustbins at Sheetal Compound, near the collector’s office and Girgaum Chowpatty earlier this week and hopes to replicate this project across Mumbai.
Each of the bins has a holding capacity of 500 kg and they have a raft-like structure to indicate their presence. The total cost of this project is `36 lakh. “The underground dustbins will keep the surrounding areas tidy and maintain the aesthetics of the city,” said Vishwas Shankarwar, deputy municipal commissioner of the solid waste management (SWM) department, BMC. “Currently, these bins have only been installed in two places.
However, we have shortlisted 10 more spots and the same arrangement will be there in place shortly,” Shankarwar added. “Underground utilities are the biggest hurdle we face in at the implementation of this project. Phone, power and other lines running below the roads of Mumbai makes the installation of these bins a complex task. After mapping the utility lines, we will instal these bins,” he said.
Another civic official told The Free Press Journal, successful implementation of this project would help reduce diseases, which arise due to open garbage installations. However, the official also emphasised the need to train the BMC’s garbage collectors in handling the bins. “There is a lever attached to the hydraulic lift that elevates the bins above the ground. The garbage collectors are to be trained in handling this technology, as they will deal with it regularly,” he said.