BMC set out to recycle 80% waste in 2015, managed just 3%, says report

MUMBAI: While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had, in the last financial year, set a target to recycle 80% of the city’s waste, it could only touch

MUMBAI: While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had, in the last financial year, set a target to recycle 80% of the city’s waste, it could only touch the 3% mark, revealed a civic environment report.

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According to BMC Environment Status Report of 2015-16, the city generates 30.96 lakh tonnes of trash, annually. Of this, the civic body had a target of recycling 24.76 lakh tonnes in the past year. However, the solid waste management (SWM) department managed to recycle only 74,304 tonnes.

Additionally, the report also identified that the civic body had a target of 100% waste segregation but managed to segregate only 27% at their 35 waste segregation centres. Only 30% of scientific disposal of waste was achieved.

HT had reported on October 9 that 73% trash produced by the city includes food waste and housing societies have been segregating only 5% waste. The remaining trash ends up choking dumping grounds.

Civic officials said housing societies were flouting norms for mandatory waste segregation as per waste management rules, 2016. “The maximum waste sent by housing societies and institutions is mixed. While we have managed to segregate a large amount, only little has been sent to industries as raw material,” said a senior SWM department official. “Within a year, we will have 35 additional waste segregation centres and begin penalising societies to keep them in check.”

The city currently produces 8,600 metric tonnes of waste per day. “It’s not a desirable system and will lead to a garbage crisis, which will become very difficult to solve,” said V Ranganathan, former civic chief. “BMC needs to send separate dumpers for dry and wet waste while citizens need to compost organic waste at open areas through techniques such as vermiculture.”