MUMBAI: Staffers of the BMC’s solid waste management (SWM) department did a bit of sleuthing to catch hold of those who dump waste on roads and get away with it.
Civic body staffers were often troubled by shopkeepers in Dadar (West) who dumped garbage from their shops on the roads after civic staffers were done with sweeping and cleaning in the mornings. Store owners often denied dumping the waste. The staffers thus decided to inspect the waste and found receipts of one cloth store and approached the owner, who then paid up a fine of Rs 200.
“SWM staffers collect waste and sweep the roads and footpaths daily between 7am and 8.30am. Many of the shopkeepers open their stores between 9am and 10am. Thereafter, these shopkeepers just collect the waste they have generated in a plastic bag and throw it on the roads or footpaths, wherever they feel like it. Whenever we question the store owners, they deny having dumped the garbage. Sometimes, neighbouring shopkeepers or hawkers tell us who has thrown the waste,” said a BMC official.
“This has happened despite the BMC offering door-to-door garbage collection services to shopkeepers at a time of their choice,” an official said, adding, “Therefore, we decided to change our strategy and began to check the waste to find out the source.”
The BMC’s G-North ward has imposed a fine in around 62 cases between October and December 26 and the fine amount ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 10,000. “Citizens should support the BMC in deep cleaning. The fine has been imposed just to create awareness on this,” said Irfan Kazi, assistant engineer, SWM department, G-North ward.