Mumbai civic body's mazdoor union threatens to stop garbage collection

While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is trying to avert disaster by evacuating dangerous buildings, conservancy staffers of the civic body have threatened to stop garbage collection if they are inconvenienced during the drive.

The Municipal Mazdoor Union, headed by Sharad Rao, on Saturday warned that it will stop collecting waste across the city if the association's demands are not met.

Besides private buildings, the civic body is busy evacuating its own structures, including quarters occupied by its conservancy staffers. As part of the drive, the BMC is giving alternate accommodation to the staffers at its shelters in Mahul village in Chembur.

"We understand the BMC wants to move staffers to safer places ahead of the monsoon. The civic administration, however, is adamant on shifting the staffers to far-flung areas like Mahul village. This is going to inconvenience them. There is no proper connectivity, nor are there good educational facilities in the village. Hence, we are opposed to the move," said Navnath Maharanvar, executive president of the union.

Maharanvar said the staffers are ready to cooperate with the municipal administration over repairs/redevelopment of the structures. "But the employees must be relocated in the nearby areas in their respective wards. Or else we will have to stage a protest. We will not stop providing services completely. But if the administration continues to ignore our demands beyond May 13, we will have no option but to stop picking up waste," he warned.

The BMC has around 28,000 such employees who live across more than 15 colonies in 24 administrative wards of the BMC.

Additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani could not be reached for comment.