BMC warns vendors of police case if they dump flowers on road

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a two-day ultimatum to flower market vendors in Dadar to clean up waste or face fines and police complaints. The BMC has provided waste dumping facilities, but some vendors find it easier to dump waste on the road. The excess flower waste is being recycled into fertiliser or incense sticks. Despite low sales, 70 to 80 truckloads of flowers are still being wasted daily, causing public anger. Some individuals are capitalising on the dumped waste by cleaning and selling the flowers.

Annoyed by the piles of waste on the road outside Meenatai Thackeray flower market in Dadar despite several warnings, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued the vendors a two-day ultimatum after which it would levy a fine and even file police complaints against violators.

Mumbai, India - Oct. 4, 2023: The florists of Paral Flower Market threw large quantities of flower waste and excess flower waste on the road out side the Maa Saaheb Sau Minatai Thakre Flower Market, Parel in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

On Wednesday, the office of assistant engineer with the solid waste management department of G/North ward sent a letter to the vendors. The letter read, “It is because of this that BMC faces public anger and it’s image is tarnished.” An announcement, warning of strict action, was also made on a loudspeaker in the morning.

Assistant engineer Kazi Irfan said they had planned to levy a fine of ₹5,000 on violators as well as lodge complaints against them with the police. “The violators could be charged under section 268 and 290 – causing public nuisance - of the Indian Penal Code and section 368 (duty of owners and occupiers to collect rubbish, etc.) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act.”

The BMC move prompted the vendors and workers to immediately drop their excess flower waste in the space earmarked by the civic body at the back of the flower market.

There is a machine in that plot which recycles the wasted flowers to convert them into fertiliser or incense sticks. The supervisor, who did not want to be named, said the shopkeepers found it easier to dump the waste on the road, and the threat was working.

“Sales are always low during the period of ‘pitru paksh’ which will continue till October 15. But as we are still receiving 70 to 80 truckloads of flowers every day, much of it goes to waste. This happens every year although this year the extent of waste is more. The price has dipped to ₹10 per kg as there are no buyers,” said Vijay Dogre who owns four shops in the market. “When the dump and BMC’s garbage vans get filled, and they do so quickly, the flowers are left on the roads.”

Another waste dumping facility offered by BMC is situated outside the market, and it is a stationary compactor called ‘hayva.’ This, said BMC’s appointed operator Anika Parvinaik, had filled up by 12 pm because of the sheer volume of flowers, and would be emptied in the night.

Additionally, BMC’s garbage compactor trucks also make their rounds outside the market as and when required.

The flowers dumped on the road, however, offer an opportunity to the road dwellers. Savita Bhoi, Annika’s sister, manages to earn ₹400 on some days by cleaning, and sweeping the waste to sell them later. Annika also repurposes the flowers thrown in the ‘hayva’ which her nine-year-old son sells on the road after school.