BMC getting rid of waste by burning it on roadside: Wadala residents

BMC is burning waste on a footpath near Wadala railway station, despite being piled up in a makeshift solid waste management office nearby, say activists.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is burning waste on the footpath along RAK Marg, near Wadala railway station, and right at a makeshift solid waste management (SWM) office where heaps of garbage are piled up every day, activists and citizens forums from the area have complained.

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According to the residents, heaps of waste have been lying on the footpath and have spilled onto the road blocking one side of it for many months. They claim the BMC has been burning this waste daily in the last week instead of disposing of it in a prescribed manner.

“They (BMC) are burning this waste daily after 2-3pm. So many SWM vehicles collect waste from different areas and dump it here. They then burn it causing havoc of air pollution in the area,” said Nimish Malde, a civic issues activist.

On October 5, 2022, HT had reported on illegally dumped waste at RAK Marg in Wadala.

Chirag Dedhia, a member of Wadala West Citizens Forum (WWCF) and a resident of the area, said, “About four years ago, the spot opposite Maharashtra Aids Society on RAK Marg was free of encroachment and garbage. However, in the last three years, the pedestrian walkway to the railway station has been completely encroached and has a huge pile of debris and garbage, which the local SWM officials ignore.

“We made several representations to the local ward office and SWM officials, via visits and tweets. But all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.”

Dedhia added, “Now, the garbage is being burnt every day. The stench from the pile is causing serious respiratory problems to senior citizens, children and pregnant women living nearby.”

Reshma Doshi, co-convener, Mumbai North Central District Forum (MNCDF), said that MNCDF members from Wadala have been raising the issue repeatedly but the BMC does not want to bring in a permanent solution.

“The BMC is launching WhatsApp chatbots and making tall claims of resolving complaints, but the reality is different. There are so many complaints regarding garbage every day on social media platforms. Such garbage burning is a criminal act and violation of the solid waste management rules 2016. The BMC should act on it immediately.”

As per data put forth by Praja Foundation this year, the F North ward of the BMC received 704 complaints related to solid waste in 2022, as compared to 562 in 2021. It took an average of 26 days for the ward to resolve complaints related to SWM/garbage in 2022.

Chief engineer, solid waste management, BMC, did not respond to HT’s request for a comment despite multiple attempts.

On September 8 last year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) levied a ₹12,000 crore environmental compensation fine on the Maharashtra government for its mismanagement of sewage and solid waste.