Residents, NGO work to make Mumbai’s Bandra Reclamation a zero-garbage zone

In the first phase, waste from almost 2,800 establishments is being processed at the premises instead of being sent to the dumping ground

Bandra Reclamation is about to become a zero-garbage locality soon. After a year of work, citizens and activists have installed waste management amenities in more than 30 housing societies and establishments in the area to process about 1,800kg of waste.

CK Narula shows the compost pit installed in his society.(Satish Bate/HT Photo)

With assistance from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the NGO Stree Mukti Sanghatana, the residents of Bandra Reclamation have installed compost pits and tumblers of, with capacities between 30kg and 60kg, in housing societies and establishments like the fire brigade station, MTNL, MSRDC and Ali Yavar Jung Institute for the hearing-impaired.

In the first phase, waste from almost 2,800 houses, a hospital, hotel, two educational institutions, numerous eateries and a shrine is being processed at the premises instead of being sent to the dumping ground.

Vidya Vaidya of the Bandra Reclamation Area Volunteers Organisation (BRAVO) said, “We started this project near Mt Mary Church and on Kane Road in 2017. We want to cover the rest of the area including slums and install a waste-to-energy system for the entire Reclamation area till next year. We will also create a monitoring system for the project, and hope to extend the project throughout the city.”

CK Narula, resident of Agasti Apartments, said, “The area’s wet and green waste (including trees and leaves) is turned into compost, while the dry waste is sent to recyclers. We had conducted an awareness drive for collection of e-waste last year. Collected e-waste was then sent to authorised e-waste vendors.”

Lilavati hospital which is a bulk waste generator, producing more than 100 kg of waste every day, has set up an organic waste converter for 700 kg of wet waste and Rangsharda hotel has set up a biogas plant for 100 kg.

“Bandra citizens have come up with unique methods of decentralised waste management at the local level. BMC is helping them raise awareness, train locals and giving them technical guidance whenever needed,” said assistant municipal commissioner Sharad Ughade.