The Indian Express            21.10.2013

BMC to hire PR firms to raise awareness about waste management

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to engage public relation (PR) firms to educate citizens on effective waste management. It has called for proposals from firms to devise strategies to spread awarenesss about garbage disposal in housing societies.

Along the lines of Bhagidari scheme in Delhi, encouraging people's participation in governance, the BMC aims to use the consultants for preparing a detailed communication strategy regarding solid waste management. "The company will help create various mediums of mass communication to spread the message of effective waste management. It will also hold workshops and seminars to educate the public," said Prakash Patil, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Solid Waste Management (SWM).

At present, Advanced Locality Managements (ALM) committees facilitate meetings between officials and citizens for civic issues like waste management and road repairs. "We hope to finalise the tender to appoint the firm within the next two months," said Patil.

Repeated efforts of BMC to ensure segregation of dry and wet waste have failed. According to Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Rules, it is mandatory for local municipal bodies to enforce segregation at source. Data indicates that only 2-4 per cent of Mumbai's daily garbage is actually separated.

The BMC's environment status report for 2012-13 pegs the waste generated by the city at 9,700 metric tonnes per day, of which 3,800 metric tonnes is biodegradable, 2000 metric tonne is recyclable, 1,200 metric tonne is inert matter and 2,700 metric tonnes is construction waste and debris.

According the report, a Mumbai resident on an average generates 475 gram of garbage per day. Of this, 54 per cent is wet organic matter and 15 per cent is dry organic matter. One of the most immediate and long-term measures suggested for improvement of the waste collection system of BMC is reduction of waste at source by separation into dry and wet waste. The measures also include involvement of NGOs, private and public sector organisations and industrial houses.

In May, the BMC served notices to over eight lakh households for failing to segregate garbage. If societies do not comply with the rules, BMC can refuse to collect waste. It can also penalise housing societies by levying a fine on them.