Despite door-to-door collection drives, helplines, both telephonic and WhatsApp, residents complain that streets are overflowing with debris and waste; in first of two-part series, we focus on problem in Western suburbs
Garbage dumped on 17th Road, Khar West. Pic/Anurag Ahire
Prajakta Kasale, Ranjeet Jadhav, Dipti Singh and Eshan Kalyanikar
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Attempts for a Swachh Mumbai may continue. But the piles of garbage and debris lying on roads and in public places display how it is a chronic issue for the city. The problem persists despite a new helpline to resolve it, as citizens find it and other measures not enough to solve these issues. Even as some said BMC does respond immediately, it is maintaining the cleanliness that is not happening. Citizens have demanded firm action to ensure the city and suburbs stay garbage free.
mid-day found that people dumped several items at JP Road, Seven Bungalows, which include household waste, even beds, construction material, etc. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is taking measures to eliminate garbage spots from moving bins to appointing agencies to collect waste by going door-to-door in slums, to starting a helpline ‘debris on call’ among others. The recent measure is the WhatsApp helpline which was initiated by the Chief Minister in June. mid-day visited some spots in the Western suburbs and asked citizens about the garbage issue in their vicinity.
Many said sometimes the garbage is thrown by slums’ residents, sometimes debris from interior work in buildings and even green waste of gardens are responsible for the garbage dumping. Residents said they have registered several complaints from time to time, and claim that the garbage is cleaned the next day but piles up again.
Garbage at JP Road at Seven Bungalows
The BMC appears to have turned a blind eye to the garbage that is being dumped on the side of JP road at Seven Bungalows near the BEST bus depot. On Tuesday mid-day found that the garbage at the spot is causing a lot of inconvenience to the locals staying in the area. mid-day found that people are dumping several items at this location which includes household waste, even beds, construction material, etc.
Garbage dumped at JP Road at Seven Bungalows near the BEST bus depot. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav
Advocate Falguni Brahmbhatt who stays in the area said, “Due to the filth and garbage, the entire area not only stinks but is also a health hazard. The BMC should have cleanliness drives on a regular basis, as well as create awareness and find permanent solutions to such issues.”
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Activist and social worker Prakash Gidwani said, “It is very sad to see that the BMC plans to spend large sums of money on sanitation, etc. but huge heaps of garbage are seen outside the Seven Bungalows BEST bus depot, Joseph Patel Wadi, near the fisheries institute, the entrance to Versova village near the urinal, etc. We had taken a delegation of over 20 people to the ward and and assistant municipal commissioner K West ward assured us that he will clear the garbage.”
‘Residents their own worst enemy’
The plush societies in Khar -Santacruz face the issue of garbage dumped by their residents. The societies have sweepers to collect and segregate waste daily. But even then people regularly complain about garbage and debris on 16th road junction, Main Avenue, 17th road, outside Rajesh Khanna Garden in Khar west, J K Mehta Road and Indranarayan Street in Santacruz west on social media platforms.
Garbage probably from home renovation and green waste thrown at 16th Road Khar west. Pic/Anurag Ahire
“Garbage is usually thrown by residents and their house helps, as well as the so called debris ladies (who transport debris on hand carts to discard on the streets). Sadly, residents are their own worst enemy when it comes to garbage and debris strewn on the streets of Khar and Santa Cruz,” said Debasish Chakraverty, a resident of Santacruz west.
He said, “I tried the garbage helpline once or twice. My main source of help is the ‘Khar and Santa Cruz Civic Group’ on Facebook. There are a few BMC officials on the Facebook group who are extremely helpful. But the BMC responds differently to different problems. For garbage collection, they are usually prompt. For debris, it takes a while longer.”
“The issue persists on various roads and spots, and though the BMC picks up garbage sometimes after a call, there isn’t a permanent solution. Even the new helpline is not useful to upload a photo,” said Deyasini Chowdhari, a resident of Khar.
“Debris is a big menace in Khar, Bandra. The residents of societies throw the garbage themselves. The people who do interiors may pay contractors to clear the debris, but they take short cuts and pocket the money. There were several cases of truck loads of debris dumped on road corners. Also, societies don’t pay for clearing green waste. Sweepers only collect wet garbage and most don’t bother to even segregate the dry waste,” said Chowdhari.
Residents feel there should be better coordination between the two departments (Solid Waste Management and Garden) and technically difficult helplines are also needed to change. They also think that strict rules and regulations need to be implemented to solve the issue.
Ganpat Patil Nagar median turns into garbage dump
At Ganpat Patil Nagar in Dahisar west on the Link Road, slums and a market adjacent to them, have turned a median into a garbage dump. One can find anything from used mattresses and plastics to discarded vegetables/fruits on the road divider opposite Ganpat Patil Nagar just before IC Colony metro station. The spot is infested with flies and mosquitoes becoming a health risk for locals.
Garbage dumped on the median last week, Though it was cleared, some waste was dumped again as seen on Tuesday. Pics/Dipti Singh
Harish Pandey, secretary, New Link Road Residents Association (Dahisar), told mid-day, “Through the LACC (Local area citizens committee), we have been putting up photos and getting issues like garbage, potholes, etc. resolved. Multiple times we have complained and multiple times civic officials have cleared the garbage. Complaints have been made on help lines too by the locals. But on this particular spot though it is cleared, garbage is dumped the very next day, sometimes the same day within a few hours. It would be wrong to say BMC or the local ward office is not doing anything as they do act on the complaints promptly. But failure is not monitoring these issues.”
Pandey added, “Hawkers dump garbage on the median, which spills on the road and raises a stink. There is a bustling market opposite the spot where the garbage is seen. The slums are mushrooming every year and destroying mangroves. These people just dump their waste here. The local ward office has set up a garbage unit in Ganpat Patil Nagar but the residents don’t go there, they dump it where they want to.”
Sarvesh Mangal, resident of Dahisar west, said “Controlling garbage dumping in and around Ganpat Patil Nagar has been a problem for years now. The slums are spreading, so are the heaps of garbage. In 2013, a foetus was found in a garbage heap at Ganpat Patil Nagar. The BMC had been up in arms then for a few months, when garbage dumps were cleared regularly then. Now if you call the BMC, garbage is cleared promptly, but it is seen there again the next day. BMC has failed to come up with a permanent solution.”
Tere bin kya karu? School’s worry
The Tridha school in Andheri East has been requesting the BMC to relocate the open metal garbage bins placed at its entrance for a decade now. Every monsoon, the bins become a health hazard, as the waste gets mixed with water, spilling over onto the road.
The garbage bins placed right near the entrance of Tridha School in Andheri East. Pic/Anurag Ahire
The metal bins are used by slum dwellers in the vicinity. The school staff claim to have written numerous letters to the BMC about them, but to no avail. “Initially there were three garbage bins, and now there are four,” said Dilshad Cooper, a teacher from the school.
Cooper added that the school is also compelled to raise requests for the bin to be cleared every time it overflows with waste. “BMC workers come and clean them up, but it quickly goes back to how it was,” she added. The school had suggested to BMC officials that a concrete partition be built between the school boundaries and the bin, but it has not been done.
The school has kept forced to mark another entrance for students who arrive by walking. “The main entrance is for school buses, visitors, and teachers,” Cooper said. They have been patiently waiting for a permanent solution, which now seems like a distant dream.
Parents of the school students have also been voicing their complaints on social media for years. As recently as last month, a parent took to Twitter and wrote, “@IqbalSinghChah2 Hello Sir! My child attends TRIDHA school. We, as parents of students travelling to this school, have noticed two large garbage dumps right outside the school gate and the lane. I urge you to consider removing the garbage dump from that area and implement proper waste and sanitation management.”
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Tonnes of garbage generated by Mumbai every day
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