Solid Waste Management

BMC to include slums in garbage composting plan

Tuesday, 19 September 2017 10:25 administrator

The Times of India 19.09.2017

BMC to include slums in garbage composting plan

Richa Pinto | TNN | Sep 14, 2017, 05:35 IST

MUMBAI: Not only bulk generators like housing societies and restaurants, the BMC is also planning to rope in the slums in Mumbai for composting of garbage. The civic body has planned to initiate the concept of "community composting", wherein garbage from slums would be brought in a common area and composted within the same locality itself.

The BMC has already instructed its 24 ward officers to identify areas near slums where composting could take place. "We plan to ask those who go house to house to collect waste from slums to bring it to an area where it can be segregated and treated accordingly . The BMC would fund the expenses," said an official. Civic officials said this would eventually save the travel cost incurred as well as time taken for transportation of garbage from slums to the dumps in the city. As per the 2011 census, around 41% of Mumbai lives in slums.

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All these steps come in view of the BMC's October 2 deadline from when the civic body has decided not to lift wet garbage from those which generate over 100 kg of waste daily. These waste generators are expected to segregate and treat their garbage within their premises. By doing so, the BMC is anticipating that the waste taken to dumping grounds — Deonar, Kanjurmarg and Mulund — would come down to 6,500 metric tons from the current 7,600 metric tons. However, with the slums also being roped in, the BMC believes they would be able to bring down waste collection further to below 5,000 metric tons.

Dr Lata Ghanshamnani from NGO Rnisarg Foundation, who has been working in the space of waste management for the last four years, said a big problem with slums is that they do not keep dustbins and are seen disposing off their waste in the nearby nullahs.

BMC to go soft on waste segregation

Tuesday, 19 September 2017 10:13 administrator

The Times of India 19.09.2017

BMC to go soft on waste segregation

MUMBAI: "The October 2 deadline for waste segregation stays in place but in case of bulk generators who are unable to treat their garbage, they will have to approach BMC and provide verifiable and plausible reasons on why they are unable to do so," said BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta on Monday.

He added that if the reason was justifiable, such generators would get an extension not exceeding three months to comply with segregation norms. The concession was in response to pleas by councillors from across the city , who have received representations from their constituents seeking clarity and support on disposal of waste. As the rule stands, beginning October 2, BMC will not pick up wet waste from any building generating over 100 kg garbage a day or is spread over 20,000 sq metres. Dry waste will continue to be picked up from such addresses.

Opposition leader in the BMC, Congress corporator Ra vi Raja, said regardless of the rule, it was the BMC's duty to dispose of waste and they cannot be turning their back on it. "If the BMC refuses to pick up the wet waste it may go on piling up and will result in serious health issues for residents.Already the health of people in Mumbai is deteriorating, this will only worsen it," said Raja, adding that BMC levies taxes on citizens to pick up their waste and therefore it is binding on them to do so.

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BJP's party leader in the BMC also came out opposing the move. "As public representatives, we are being questioned but unfortunately we were not in the loop," said Manoj Kotak. He added that BMC's claim that waste generated daily in Mumbai has reduced 20% in the last four years was hard to digest. BMC has claimed that municipal waste is down to 7,700 tonnes per day from 9,400 tonnes per day in 2013. Samajwadi Party leader in BMC Rais Shaikh said the BMC should have "informed us about the decision so that we could give suggestions" instead of unilaterally issuing notices to housing societies which are bulk generators.

Shiv Sena leader in the BMC Yashwant Jadhav said the party felt slighted that neither it nor the mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, who is from the Sena, had been informed of the move.

Training for ‘Freedom from Waste’

Thursday, 20 July 2017 00:00 administrator

The Hindu 20.07.2017

Training for ‘Freedom from Waste’

State programme to be launched on August 15

The local self-governing bodies have a major role to play in the implementation of ‘Freedom from Waste’, a programme of the Haritha Keralam Mission and being implemented by Suchitwa Mission aiming at sustainable waste management in the State.

A major focus of the programme is source-level waste management with the support of local bodies and residents.

The training phase of the project in Kozhikode district starts on Thursday at Nalanda Auditorium in the city where Mayor Thottathil Raveendran will inaugurate it. The presidents of all the grama panchayats in the district and Haritha Keralam resource persons from all local bodies will take part in the training session.

Extensive training to the representatives from grama panchayats will be given in separate sessions to be held at Nadapuram Grama Panchayat Auditorium (July 24), Kozhikode Town Hall (July 25) and at EMS Memorial Town Hall in Koyilandy (July 26).

The local bodies will hold an internal meeting to discuss the implementation of the project on July 22 and ward sanitation committee meetings will be held on July 24. Regional meetings and ward-level meetings will be held in local bodies from July 27 to 31.

The training is being carried out by resource persons from the Kerala Institute of Local Administration. The plan is to ensure two resource persons for every 50 residences in a ward to ensure comprehensive sanitation and waste management.

The ‘Freedom from Waste’ programme will be officially launched in the State on August 15.

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