MUMBAI: From reclaiming footpaths riddled with illegal construction debris to creating seating areas for senior citizens, BMC is attempting to turn Mumbai’s garbage-vulnerable points (GVPs) into usable public spaces.
Continuous monitoring and presence of staff have been established to maintain cleanliness in these improved areas.
Of the 231 such spots identified across the city till April this year, 77 had been cleaned up by Oct, leaving 154. The civic body has set a target of bringing the number down to 128 by Dec. A garbage-vulnerable point is a location where waste is repeatedly dumped and accumulates over a prolonged period, requiring intervention by the concerned civic ward to address the problem.Two such locations are in Sewri and Chinchpokli areas wherein the civic body is attempting to go beyond simply clearing accumulated waste. At Zakaria Bunder Road along Eastern Freeway, a spot where construction and demolition (C&D) waste was being dumped illegally at night has been cleared, restoring the footpath for safer and more convenient pedestrian movement.A CCTV now has been placed there as well. Shiv Sena UBT corporator Bharti Pednekar said at Chinchpokli, another GVP has been eliminated and the space converted into a seating area, with benches now placed at the site. “The facility gives elderly residents a place to sit, relax and interact with one another. We have even spoken to the locals to ensure they dispose waste the correct way,” she said.However, sustaining these improvements remains a challenge, particularly in neighbourhoods where dumping garbage at the same location has become a long-standing practice. Assistant Municipal Commissioner of F-South ward Vrushali Ingole said eliminating GVPs requires residents to cooperate with the civic body and hand over their waste directly to BMC collection vans rather than dumping it on roadsides.“The ward first deploys staff at an identified spot for a few days to understand where the garbage is coming from. Our teams then approach residents in the surrounding areas, explain the need to stop dumping waste at the location and seek their cooperation. We have also arranged for collection vans to stop at convenient points so residents can hand over their garbage directly,” she said.Sanjay Mohite, assistant engineer of F-South’s solid waste department, said at the Eastern Freeway location, the ward set up a Solid Waste Management chowky to ensure staff presence and prevent the spot from reverting to a dumping ground. “The footpath was also improved and greenery added to discourage fresh dumping. “Sustained monitoring and public cooperation will be crucial to keeping the spaces clean,” said deputy municipal commissioner Kiran Dighavkar.
