Mumbai: BMC seeks explanation from agency after dry waste allegedly dumped into Mogra Nullah

A screengrab of the video in which a man allegedly attached to a BMC-appointed agency is seen dropping a bag of dry waste into the Mogra Nullah in Andheri West. Pic/By Special Arrangement

While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) lectures citizens on waste segregation and responsible trash management, a resident of Andheri West captured a video showing garbage being dumped from a dry-waste tempo into the Mogra Nullah near the Lokhandwala back road on Monday. In the video, a worker can be clearly seen throwing bags of waste over the bridge railing into the water.

[popcorn number="48 hrs" desc="Time given to agency to explain alleged actions" class="Default"]

Locals livid

The Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizen Association (LOCA) posted a video on Instagram where it said, "BMC, this is NOT how dry waste is supposed to be handled. A BMC dry waste tempo was just caught dumping collected garbage straight off the bridge onto Lokhandwala back road. Workers are casually throwing bags over the railing into the water/mud below like it's an open dumping ground. This is the same corporation that lectures citizens about segregation and Swachh Bharat while its own vehicles treat public spaces and water bodies like a free landfill. Tagging you, @my_bmc, this is unacceptable, illegal, and a complete failure of basic civic responsibility. Fix this. Take action. Stop treating Mumbai like a dump yard." Dhaval Shah from LOCA said that the authorities should take action against those responsible.

BMC Speak

Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner of the BMC's solid waste management department, said, "We received a complaint regarding a vehicle MH-47-AS-4303, which was allegedly found dumping dry waste directly into the creek along the back road of Lokhandwala instead of taking it to the designated dry waste sorting centre. This is a blatant violation of the prescribed waste-management procedure and a serious environmental offence.

We have sought an explanation from the agency concerned within 48 hours, failing which strict action, including cancellation of the work order and closure of the dry waste sorting centre operated by the agency, will be initiated."