BMC helpline seeks to address garbage complaints quicker

The helpline is an initiative taken by chief minister Eknath Shinde. “The CM wanted an interactive forum where complainants could post photographs and mention the location, and subsequently the ward could, after resolving the issue, post a fresh photograph,” said a civic official from the solid waste department

MUMBAI: In a span of two months, from June 7 to August 12 this year, the BMC has received 4,153 complaints on garbage and 1,365 complaints on debris lying unattended in 24 administrative wards. The complaints have come in through the civic body’s meta-based helpline for quick redressal of garbage-related complaints.

Deyasini Choudhary, member of the Khar-Santacruz Civic Group, said that the BMC did pick up garbage after receiving complaints on the helpline. “However, what we need is community bins, a concept that was prevalent 20 years ago,” she said. (Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

The helpline is an initiative taken by chief minister Eknath Shinde. “The CM wanted an interactive forum where complainants could post photographs and mention the location, and subsequently the ward could, after resolving the issue, post a fresh photograph,” said a civic official from the solid waste department.

The official added that the helpline had been set up to quicken the response time. “Earlier, there was a long process whereby people used to complain on the disaster control helpline 1916, after which the complaint would be forwarded to the ward and then the solid waste management department,” he said. “So the CM suggested that we have an interactive complaint management system, where the complaint goes directly to the ward. We have been told to resolve complaints within 12 hours, and we have made it a point to try and do so.”

A civic source said that BMC engineers focused only on debris dumping and went after developers. “But on the field, there is actual garbage lying unattended,” he said. “Nobody is taking ownership of this.”

Deyasini Choudhary, member of the Khar-Santacruz Civic Group, said that the BMC did pick up garbage after receiving complaints on the helpline. “However, what we need is community bins, a concept that was prevalent 20 years ago,” she said. “With Advanced Locality Management mushrooming at that point, community bins were lifted by the BMC. But the habits of residents and slum dwellers have not changed and they keep dumping at the same spots even now. The wet garbage and mixed garbage comes from the slums.”

Choudhary wants the community bins back as according to her, house-to-house collection in slums is not happening. “There is a farce going on as the contractor gets the money but people who are deployed to do the house-to-house collection are not paid, and so slum dwellers dump their garbage at night,” she said. “This has become a daily nuisance, and community bins should be brought back in proximity to slums so that they stop dumping on roads.”

Meanwhile, the debris dumping comes from housing societies where residents hand over debris to handcart pullers, who dump it under trees. “It is difficult for the BMC to catch these people. Dumping of debris and green waste are two unresolvable issues. I sympathise with the BMC as it does the work,” said Choudhary.