Since the DP 2034 has no reservation for a new dumping ground, the only dumping ground that will be available for the city's waste is the Kanjurmarg site, where the civic body has started treating waste scientifically.
Sending out a clear message to Mumbaikars that the onus of reducing waste going to dumping grounds now rests squarely on them, the Development Plan (DP) 2034, a blueprint for the city's development over the years to come, makes no other reservation for a dumping ground in the city, except an existing one at Kanjurmarg.
The capacity of the Deonar and Mulund dumping grounds in Mumbai have already been exhausted, and the Bombay High Court has granted an extension to the BMC for dumping waste at these two sites till June 2017.
Since the DP 2034 has no reservation for a new dumping ground, the only dumping ground that will be available for the city's waste is the Kanjurmarg site, where the civic body has started treating waste scientifically.
BMC has started treating close to 3,000 metric tonnes of garbage at Kanjurmarg.
The BMC's Solid Waste Management department is planning to further enhance the capacity of the Kanjurmarg landfill site by seeking necessary approvals to utilise 52.5 hectares of CRZ-III land.
While the BMC has paid Rs 10 crore to the state government for a 50-hectare plot at Taloja in Raigad district for a dumping ground, executing the plan is proving to be difficult as a part of the plot has been encroached on by tribal families. The civic body will have to chalk out a compensation package to rehabilitate these tribal families. Moreover, villages living in the vicinity of the plot have been protesting against the dumping of Mumbai's waste at their doorsteps.
The civic body has demanded another 32.77 hectare plot in Mulund (East), near Airoli Bridge, from the government for the scientific processing of waste generated in Mumbai. However, the salt commissioner has refused to hand it over to the BMC as the land is currently being used for a salt pan.
While the civic administration has started working on different ways of processing garbage at several levels, citizens will soon be asked to segregate waste compulsorily at their doorstep before the civic body takes the garbage to the dumping site.
A senior civic official said all the ward offices will soon be sending out notices to housing societies and individuals, asking them to segregate waste before it is collected by the BMC. Larger societies will have to arrange for their own compost pits.
Each of the city's 24 wards will have common compost pits and dry waste centres in collaboration with NGOs. The BMC has decided to take up new projects for the scientific processing of municipal solid waste on a large scale, develop a Waste to Energy (WTE) project in Deonar and systematic disposal of construction waste and debris generated in the city. There is also a push on generating biogas at the ward-level.
To develop a comprehensive mechanism for newer ways to dispose waste, the BMC is planning to set aside a special fund. To achieve these targets, a new department has been created under Chief Engineer (SWM - New Projects) to process tenders and execute solid waste management projects.
WAKE-UP CALL
Dumping of garbage at two of the city's three dumping grounds is slated to end in June 2017. The reservation for only a single dumping ground in Mumbai in the Development Plan comes as a wake-up call to citizens to ensure that they play their part in the city's solid waste disposal mechanism. The segregation of wet, dry and hazardous waste will reduce the burden on the dumping ground.
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