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Garbage bins vanish as BMC waves wand
But New Plan To Clear Waste Will Fail Unless Residents Cooperate
By Clara Lewis/TNN 29 April 05
Mumbai: Over the last month, community garbage bins on roads and footpaths in
Prabhadevi and Bandra West have been disappearing.
No, they aren’t being pinched in the dead of night by a gang of bin thieves.
The vanishing act is part of a new garbage clearance scheme adopted by the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Instead of collecting household waste from community bins on footpaths, the BMC
has begun door-todoor collection under Parivartan Prakalp: Swachatta Abhiyaan, a
cleanliness
campaign scripted by global consultants Mckinsey. A similar scheme has been in
operation for the last two years in Vile Parle and Bandra East. The objective is
to ensure garbage is not dumped on the roads, but goes straight from the housing
society to the dumping yard.
Although a simple scheme, its success hinges on the purchase of a 120-litre
waste-bin-on-wheels by housing societies. The cost is negligible—Rs
2,000—but not many societies in Prabhadevi and Bandra (west) have come forward
to purchase it.
Around 80 housing societies in each ward have been provided with free bins. A
sweeper appointed by the housing society collects waste from each house and
dumps it in the society bin. The garbage truck then goes to the gate of the
housing society, collects the garbage and heads for the dumping yard.
Normally, the sweepers throw the garbage into community bins which are cleared
by the garbage truck every morning and are overflowing again by evening with
garbage strewn all around. In some cases, the garbage remains rotting and
uncleared for days. “Some just throw the garbage on the road making it
filthy,’’ said P R Sanglikar, incharge of the cleanliness campaign.
The new scheme, in which the truck goes from society to society twice a day is
more efficient, said Narendra Panchal, a member of the civic cleanliness squad.
It is also quicker since the bins are mounted on wheels.
“Overflowing community bins were both an ungainly sight and attracted
mosquitoes,’’ said Deepali Gurav, a resident of Phalke Wadi, Prabhadevi,
hoping they don’t stage a comeback. In the Tata Press lane, the bin has given
way to a beautification project by local residents.
Slum residents have not been provided with bins but have been given a time at
which the truck is parked outside. A civic worker, bell in hand, goes around the
slum to announce the truck’s arrival. Residents dump their waste directly in
the van, bypassing the community bins.
But the cleanliness drive is under a cloud of uncertainty: civic officials are
worried about whether residents will buy and maintain their bins.
“Since it is an experiment, we have initially given bins free of cost, but we
hope societies will eventually purchase them,’’ said D P Abhyankar,
in-charge of the cleanliness drive in Prabhadevi. Unfortunately, residents have
so far refused. “Even a reputed bank refused and demanded that we provide it
free if we want the scheme to be implemented,’’ he said.
Anandini Thakur, a member of the Khar Residents’ Association, shares his
worries. “People want the garbage to go but refuse to participate. They are
not willing to contribute even one rupee a day, although they are affluent. The
scheme will not succeed without the involvement of residents,’’ she said.
The association has roped in director Ashutosh Gowariker, known for his
patriotic films Lagaan and Swades, to spread the message of clean community
living.
GLOBAL LAWS
With landfills reaching saturation points, governments across the world are
charging citizens for the waste they produce.
The more your waste, the more you pay. In Zurich, residents have to purchase an
official trash bag called Zuri-Sack costing five Swiss francs or US $4.25.
Rigorous disposal and recycling programmes implemented for the past decade have
resulted in a 40% decrease in household waste in Zurich. For residents who throw
garbage out, the first-time fine is as steep as 260 Swiss francs.
Countries such as Austria, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg and Sweden too charge
residents on a “pay as you throw’’ basis.
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