Segregate waste or face action: BMC

Mumbai: From Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will issue a final warning to housing societies, which have failed to carry out waste segregation and disposal on their premises. If they do not fall in line, the civic body will prosecute these societies and also slap a penalty on them, said, civic officials.

The civic body had threatened not to pick up garbage, fine and prosecute housing societies for failing to segregate the garbage and treat it in their premises by October 2.

The notices were issued under the Greater Mumbai Cleanliness and Sanitation Bye-Laws – 2006 making it mandatory on housing societies to segregate dry and wet waste and treat it.

However, the civic body later decided to relax its deadline by further three months on the condition that housing societies must give a written assurance that they will undertake waste management projects within the stipulated period.

According to civic data, out of 5,304 housing societies, which have been issued notices, not even 10 percent of societies have responded to BMC’s threats.

“We will now issue a final warning on Wednesday asking big housing societies to carry out waste segregation and disposal at the sources only. If they do not listen, they will be prosecuted and fined,” said additional municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal.

Housing societies, which have failed to install vermicomposting units in their premises and instead used that space for other purposes, will also face action under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) act.

“We are planning to take action against these societies under section 368, 371 and 372 of municipal act, which deals with the solid waste management,” said a senior civic official.

Final warning

The BMC had made it compulsory for bulk waste generators to dispose of garbage in their premises only. The bulk waste generators include big housing societies, five-star hotels, malls, industries etc, which daily produce more than 100 kgs of waste and have an area of more than 20,000 sq mt. The bulk waste generators have been asked to set up facilities such as an organic waste converter, vermicomposting, bio-methanation in their backyard to treat the waste at source.