Residents and activists, who have been advocating for cleaner living conditions, have requested that the authorities prevent the drain from getting clogged again. Locals say thank you after BMC clears the drain of 300 metric tonnes of trash
The Cheetah Camp nullah on June 21. Pic/By Special Arrangement
After mid-day highlighted the sorry state of the nullah at Cheetah Camp in Mankhurd, which was severely clogged with garbage due to littering, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) swung into action, removing 300 metric tonnes of trash over four days.
Residents and activists, who have been advocating for cleaner living conditions, have requested that the authorities prevent the drain from getting clogged again.
The clean-up drive
“They cleaned it up in four days from June 28 to July 2, with a one-day break in between,” said Asif Sayed, a local activist, who along with Dharmesh Barai from the Environment Life Foundation, had petitioned the authorities to initiate a clean-up drive aim to make the area better for residents.
The Cheetah Camp nullah in Mankhurd after the recent clean-up drive
Sayed said, “I was with them all the days when cleaning was carried out. Even the workers were shocked by seeing the amount of garbage that came out of the nullah. I agree that it’s the people who live here and aren’t aware of the consequences of littering that are responsible for the build-up of trash.”
Barai told mid-day, “The BMC’s recent clean-up is equivalent to almost a 100 manual clean-up drives that we do on mangrove land and beaches.” The civic body removed almost 300 metric tonnes of garbage in this drive alone.
While the garbage has been removed, Sayed said not all of it has been transported to proper dumping grounds. “The contractor told me he was not responsible for taking away the trash to a dumping yard, but he said that he would tell his superiors that the garbage was to be moved from our area.”
A resident said, “It finally feels a little better to walk by the road along the nullah. There was a constant rancid smell, but now it feels like we are breathing purer air.”
Barai said, “Half of the work in the area is done with the cleaning of this nullah. If a stretch that comes under the forest department is also cleaned, our operation could be considered a 100 per cent success.”
Residents pointed out that an 800-metre stretch of land under the forest department is full of piles of garbage and debris from previously demolished houses. “This spot also needs to be cleaned, but it seems that this will only be possible once the monsoon season ends. Until then, residents who live nearby will have to bear the stench,” said Sayed.
According to Sayed and Barai, a proper system that prevents people from throwing garbage in the area is sorely needed. “We hope the authorities also set up a fence or a barrier over the nullah soon,” said Barai.
Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner in charge of stormwater drains, told mid-day that the BMC was considering fencing nullahs. Asked about the Cheeta Camp nullah specifically, he said, “We need to check the area before saying if it can be implemented there. It is important to figure out which kind of fencing would work, and we are in the process of doing so.”
Meanwhile, Ujwal Ingole, assistant commissioner, M East ward, said, “We are actively taking action to clean up nullahs, maintain them, and ensure that garbage is not left along the nullah but taken to a proper dumping ground.”
Asked about cleaning the 800-metre stretch, Ingole said, “If the forest department is ready to give us its permission, we will clean that area too, but until then, we cannot do anything to help those residing along the stretch.”
The BMC is also looking into putting a net or barrier along the nullah to keep it garbage-free.
“We have been looking into feasible options. One solution cannot be commonly implemented in every locality. We are also working with local activists to create awareness against throwing garbage in the nullah,” Ingole said.
Forest dept’s version
Sachin More, round officer from the Turbhe division of the Navi Mumbai Mangrove Range Forest Office (Central Mumbai), told mid-day, “We have made plans to remove the debris from the 800-metre stretch, which we have implemented halfway. Once the monsoon ends, we will ensure that everything is cleaned. We had sent the BMC letter about cleaning the area, and they had helped us do it to an extent. If they are willing to work with us again, we will clean stretch together.”
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