The K West Ward Office's efforts on waste segregation seem to be paying off. In the last 10 days, it has sent notices to at least 500 societies and individual bungalows to segregate waste on their own or face action. The residents are now falling in line.
As the civic body grapples with waste management, the only solution before it is to get waste segregated at the household level, so that less volume is disposed on the dumping ground.
"We have started sending notices under Section 368 of the MMC Act. Soon, all wards will be covered and citizens will be expected to segregate waste themselves. We are asking them to segregate wet and dry waste in separate bins. We have three vehicles to pick up dry waste in the area. All societies will be given specific days. We will lift the dry waste, according to the needs of individual societies," said Prashant Gaikwad, Assistant Commissioner of K West Ward.
While a few residential societies like Shatdal Society on Azad Road in Andheri West have voluntarily started segregation since a year, there are a few others that have started segregation in the last couple of months.
Sandra Alex, Joint Secretary, Golden Beach – Society of Bungalows in Juhu, said that they have received the notice and residents are more than willing to segregate waste. "We are planning how to go about it and will finalise the same soon. The civic body is ready to help us and there are voluntary organisations too," said Sandra, adding that their corporator Renu Hansraj has been taking the lead by creating awareness about segregation.
The civic body has assured all help to citizens for digging compost pits in society premises. "While dry waste will be taken care of by NGOs, which will segregate it further, we will help residential societies to dig compost pits during the initial period," said Gaikwad.
Uddhav Chandanshive, Assistant Engineer (Solid Waste Management) of K West Ward, said: "We are encouraging residents to segregate e-waste, dry waste and wet waste. Segregation will help the civic body to manage wet waste better and ensure less volumes go to the dump yard. K West Ward has two segregation centres in the ward, where NGOs are roped into recycle the waste.
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