Fest over, Mumbai civic body collects 5,500kg floral waste

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) collected 5,500kg of nirmalaya (flower waste) from temples and Navratri pandals in the N-ward (Ghatkopar) during the

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) collected 5,500kg of nirmalaya (flower waste) from temples and Navratri pandals in the N-ward (Ghatkopar) during the nine-day festival. This waste will now be converted into compost.

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The solid waste management (SWM) department at Ghatkopar had undertaken a nirmalaya collection drive this year in N-ward to ensure that it does not end up at landfills. According to data available from the department, 600kg of nirmalya was collected every day from the N-ward.

“The waste will be converted into compost at Subhash Garden at Pantnagar, where we already have a composting pit,” said an official from the department.

Irfan Kazi, an official from Ghatkopra’s SWM department who had started the initiative, said the project was started on a pilot basis during Ganeshotsav. After its success, they decided to replicate the same during Navratri. “We stopped more than two tonnes of nirmalya from reaching landfills during Ganeshotsav. Similarly, considering there are a lot of temples and pandals that celebrate Navratri in Ghatkopar, this initiative will also stop waste from going to landfills,” said Kazi.

Kazi added that as a part of the plan, they had reached out to societies, flower vendors and temples to accept nirmalaya from the citizens.

Similarly, Navjeevan Sangha Durga Puja Association at Mulund had organised an e-waste collection drive at their pandal on Monday. Members from the pandal and the Rotary Club of Bombay, Mulund Valley, collected e-waste from the members and nearby areas. This waste will now be processed. “We try to spread a message every year, so this year we decided that we could initiate the e-waste collection on our premises,” said Debashish Chatterjee, vice president, Navjeevan Sangha.