MUMBAI: At a time when everyone is doing their bit to combat global warming, the BMC is trying to kill two birds with a stone. It plans to modernise four refuse transfer stations across the city, which means that the garbage will be compacted before it is taken to the dumping grounds. Because of this, the number of vehicles carrying garbage that clog the streets will be reduced by more than half.

A refuse station is the spot where garbage is unloaded daily from different vehicles, and is then loaded onto other vehicles which take it to the dumping grounds in Deonar and Mulund. Currently, there are four refuse transfer stations in the city: Mahalaxmi, Kurla, Gorai and Versova. While the one at Mahalaxmi has been modernised, the BMC is currently preparing a proposal to modernise the other three. A tender will be floated to appoint contractors. The modernisation project will be taken up on a public-privatepartnership (PPP) basis.

“After the modernisation of the station at Mahalaxmi, we are saving a lot of fuel and charges on fuel. We have decided to take the method forward to other transfer stations . If we feel the need, we may even construct other modernised transfer stations in different parts of the city,’’ said an official from the solid waste management department .

After the modernisation plan takes root, officials said that the garbage would be compressed in a scientific manner and transferred to bigger compactors or vehicles that will carry the garbage to the dumping ground. Currently , the capacity of the vehicle carrying garbage is 1.5 to 2.5 metric tonnes. The bigger vehicles will carry 12 to 14 metric tonnes of garbage. Because of this, officials said the number of vehicles and the trips to the dumping grounds will automatically reduce.

“Because of less fuel, there will be less emission of carbon dioxide. The fewer number of vehicles will reduce traffic jams on roads,’’ said an official.

VITAL STATS
Every day, the city generates 6,500 tonnes of organic, recyclable and non-degradable waste As many as 1,100 vehicles make 1,900 trips twice a day to collect and dump waste. Of these, about 130 vehicles come from the transfer station at Gorai, 140 from Versova and 420 from Kurla.