The Indian Express 20.05.2013
Households get notices for flouting waste norm
ONE in every four households in the city does not segregate garbage into dry and wet waste, according to data compiled by BMC's solid waste management department.
Of the total 36.4 lakh households in Mumbai, assistant municipal commissioners from 24 wards have issued notices to 8.8 lakh. Notices have also been served to more than 66,000 of the 2.8 lakh non-residential establishments. "We are still processing the ward-wise information," Deputy Municipal Commissioner Prakash Patil told Newsline.
Based on a meeting with the Technical Advisory Committee for solid waste management in Mumbai, BMC began issuing notices to households in November last year. The Municipal Solid Waste Management rules of 2006 mandate garbage segregation into wet and dry at the source by residential societies. If societies do not comply with the rules, BMC can refuse to collect waste. It can also double the quantum of fines, civic officials said.
"This is the first notice issued to households. They have been given 15 days to comply with the segregation policy. We will carry out inspections again and send the second notice later. If they are still found flouting rules, we will take them to court," said a senior civic official. "We are not going to collect unsegregated waste. Spot fines will also be levied against errant citizens," the official added.
Civic officials are mapping wards where segregation is practiced the least. Fines range from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000 depending on the user. It is relatively low for housing societies and high for hotels, restaurants, hospitals and commercial establishments, the official said.
According to the environment status report of 2011-12, only 2-4 per cent of the waste generated in the city is segregated. The city generates around 9,200 metric tonnes of waste per day, with 54 per cent being wet organic matter, 15 per cent dry organic matter, 12 per cent sand and earth and 10 per cent paper and recyclables. Plastic forms 9 per cent of the total waste generated, says the report.
