Mid-Day Impact | Mumbai: Machines descend on Juhu beach!

Garbage lining the beach stretch (right) A bobcat machine picking up the trash. Pics/Satej Shinde

The BMC's Solid Waste Department deployed bobcat and beach combing machines to clean the 6-km stretch of Juhu beach after mid-day reported about the mounting garbage heaps there. BMC officials stated that the beach was cleaned with machines in the morning and evening, coinciding with the high tide. Locals mentioned they would check the impact of the cleaning on Monday.

On Sundays, we see a lot of NGOs and labourers cleaning the beach, but this year there's a lot of garbage on the seashore. This morning machines were used, and we hope all the garbage will be cleared so we have ample space to play football," a football player told mid-day. Sandeep Joshi, a volleyball player, said, "We come over the weekends to play. Before playing, we clear some areas and often come across sharp objects. It's good they're using machines. I hope the beach will be clean, allowing us to play for extra time."

BMC workers cleaning the beach. Pic/Satej Shinde

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A BMC official stated that in addition to manual beach cleaning, they use beachcombing and bobcat machines. A beachcombing machine filters out lightweight debris such as cigarette buds, small wooden pieces, and dead fish, while a bobcat machine is used to clear heavier garbage like rugs and mats. "Was the BMC sleeping until mid-day wrote a report? We are regular visitors to the beach. Up to last year, we were satisfied with the cleaning, but this year we saw heaps of garbage, and no action was taken. Now that they have started using machines, I hope they continue," said a Juhu resident.

Joggers at Juhu beach have voiced both satisfaction and concerns regarding the duration of machine use. "The machines are used for 15-20 minutes, which isn't enough to thoroughly clean the beach. Manual labour is ineffective as garbage washes back into the sea. The heaps of garbage mar the beach's beauty and harm the rich marine diversity along the Mumbai coast. We often find turtle carcasses. To clean the beaches properly, we need to use the machines and dispose of the garbage at dumping grounds. I thank mid-day for highlighting the issue; the BMC took action after their report," said environmentalist Sunil Kanojia.

Officials speak

A BMC official confirmed to mid-day that the beach was cleaned following the report's publication. "According to the high tide patterns, we cleaned the beaches in the morning using modern equipment like bobcat and beachcombing machines. The BMC removes 150 tonnes of garbage from Juhu beach alone every day," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"We will soon float a big tender for the beach cleaning and will place orders for modern equipment from abroad. The contractor will get the contract for six years. Presently, we are using existing equipment for the clean-up," said a BMC official. "We have over 100 labourers cleaning Juhu beach. They work in shifts based on the high tide timings, and machines will be used regularly," the official added.