#LitterfreeMumbai: Rules for waste disposal you must know as a responsible city resident

Garbage left at the roadside at Chirag Nagar, Ghatkopar (W) in Mumbai. Photo by Satej Shinde

The growing problem of garbage and improper disposal of waste in Mumbai has nearly exhausted the capacity of some of the largest dumping grounds in the city. According to the Environment Status Report (ESR) 2016-17 by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Mulund and Deonar dumping grounds, which receive over 34 percent of the garbage each from across the city, have nearly exhausted their capacity to receive any more waste.

The impact of untreated waste on the environment and on the quality of our lives in terms of unclean air, ground water and soil pollution and floods among others have urged the citizens to actively participate in mitigating the situation, and demand accountability from the municipal authorities and local leaders. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has implemented certain rules, which lay out the processes for segregating waste, processing them as per the contents and imposing fines for littering public places in the city.

Here are some of the basic rules one needs to know to act:

Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016

According to the ESR, the approximate quantity of solid waste generated in Mumbai is over 9,400 metric tonnes per day and food, paper, plastic, metals, glasses and inert matter constitute a major part of the total waste transported by vehicles in 3,746 trips per day. The MCGM works in co-operation with the advance locality management personnel to segregate such waste for their disposal as per the SWM rules.

The SWM rules issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change are applicable across the country. The rules list out duties for the residents or the waste generators, which are as follows:

1. Every waste generator shall segregate and store the waste generated by them in three separate streams namely bio-degradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous wastes in suitable bins and hand over segregated wastes to the authorised waste collectors from time to time.

2. Residents shall wrap securely the used sanitary waste like diapers, sanitary pads, etc. in the pouches provided by the manufacturers or brand owners of these products or in a suitable wrapping material as instructed by the local authorities and shall place the same in the bin meant for dry waste or non- bio-degradable waste.

3. Construction and demolition waste, as and when generated, in their own premises must be stored separately and shall be disposed of as per the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016.

4. People must store horticulture waste and garden waste separately in their own premises and dispose of it as per the directions of the local body from time to time.

5. No waste generator shall throw, burn or bury the solid waste generated by them on the streets, in open public spaces outside or in the drain or water bodies.

6. All waste generators shall pay a user fee for solid waste management, as specified in the bye-laws of the local bodies.

7. No person shall organise an event or gathering of more than one hundred persons at any unlicensed place without intimating the local body, at least three working days in advance and such person or the organiser of such event shall ensure segregation of waste at source and handing over of segregated waste to waste collector or agency as specified by the local body.

8. Every street vendor shall keep suitable containers for storage of waste generated during the course of his activity such as food waste, disposable plates, cups, cans, wrappers, coconut shells, leftover food, vegetables, fruits, etc., and shall deposit such waste at waste storage depot or container or vehicle as notified by the local body.

9. All resident welfare and market associations shall, in partnership with the local body, ensure segregation of waste at source by the generators, facilitate collection of segregated waste in separate streams, handover recyclable material to either the authorised waste pickers or the authorised recyclers.

10. All hotels and restaurants shall, in partnership with the local body, ensure segregation of waste at source as prescribed in these rules, facilitate collection of segregated waste in separate streams, hand over recyclable material to either the authorised waste pickers or the authorised recyclers.

Dry Waste Collection and Segregation Centers

The municipal authority has set up 34 dry waste collection and sorting centres in 24 wards across the city, where the authorities have deployed designated waste or rag pickers, for effective segregation of dry waste such as paper, cardboard, thermocol, glass and plastic, which are then sent for recycling by the ragpickers' associations.

As per the Plastic Waste (Management) Rules of 2016,the plastic waste, which makes up about three percent of the total waste generated in the city, is segregated from collected dry waste and is sent to the recyclers directly by the engaged waste pickers' association. The MCGM has also banned the use of plastic carry bags below 50 microns. The use and manufacturing of plastic carry bags below 50 microns is prohibited by law.

Fine for littering

The MCGM had framed its own bye-laws in 2006, named as "Greater Mumbai Cleanliness & Sanitation Bye-laws", which are applicable to every public place within the limits of Greater Mumbai, to every generator of municipal solid waste and to every premise under the ownership or occupation of any person within the limits of MCGM, as per the ESR.

Under these laws, the authorities are empowered to fine people who indulge in littering. Recently, the BMC had started levying a fine of Rs 200 on people who were spotted littering the nullahs in the 24 wards.