BMC to train its lens on those littering the city
Civic body decides to make a documentary film on unhygienic habits to create awareness
SHWETA DESAI
OCTOBER 12
A FTER proposing to deploy clean-up’ marshalls to keep an eye on those littering the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now decided to bring Mumbaiites face to face with unhygienic habits-it will make a documentary film on how people actually make Mumbai dirty.
The film that aims at checking the “uncivic behaviour in public places” will document people spitting, urinating, defecating and washing on roads and public places and also elaborate on what should be done to keep Mumbai clean.
“When people visit foreign countries, they do not spit or urinate in public. But back home they treat the city like a dustbin. This has to change,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) R A Rajeev.
With a daily garbage collection of 8,500 metric tonesmore than any other city in the country-the BMC spends a huge amount to keep the city clean. However, despite framing the cleanliness and sanitation bylaws, which provide for slapping fines on those violating the rules-by littering, spitting, urinating, washing utensils/clothes/vehicles, bathing at public places and throwing garbage in stormwater drains, nullahs or rivers, etc-there wasn’t effective implementation.
The documentary will create awareness about solid waste management and littering, said Rajeev, adding that the BMC had already invited an Expression of Interest (EoI) for making the film and planned to complete it within six months. The BMC hopes that some noted directors will show interest in making the documentary.
With the help of the documentary and other projects and polices, the BMC hopes to involve citizens in keeping the city clean, Rajeev said. The documentary, which will be educational and entertaining, will be shown in schools, colleges, slums and meetings of NGOs and community-based organisations, he said, adding that events like the Mumbai Festival and other BMC programmes would be a platform to screen the film. “We do not want to bore people by making a documentary on garbage. It will be interesting enough to hold viewers’ attention and educate them,” he said.
Rajeev said waste was related to everyday life of a citizen. “We create waste through every behaviour of ours in kitchen, on road, public place, transport, nursing house, cinemas, everywhere. We will be educating people that how this deliberate as well as unintentional behaviour leads to creation of garbage in the city,” he said.
The civic body had earlier co-sponsored Sai Paranjpe’s film Chakachak’, which showed a group of children participating in the segregation of waste and solid waste management practices. But this documentary would be completely sponsored by the BMC. “We want a good contemporary documentary with a long-term perspective. So funding is not a problem,” Rajeev said.
Though the BMC wants participation of celebrities, Rajeev said the main focus would be on segregation of dry and wet garbage, disposal methods, environment awareness, misuse of plastic and littering in public places. “Addressing these issues is more important than the presence of celebrities as they take away the attention of the target audience. We might rope in celebrities for promotional campaign,” he said.
URL : http://70.86.150.130/indianexpress/ArticleText.aspx?article=13_10_2007_521_015