Despite Bombay High Court relaxation, BMC manages to collect 1.2 lakh kg plastic waste

Ever since the ban on plastic has come into effect, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has collected around 1.2 lakh kg plastic, including door-to-door collection and from garbage bins put up across the city.

Though the Bombay High Court has okayed plastic use for three months, the BMC decided to continue its preparation for implementation of plastic ban in the city. Apart from putting dust bins in 24 wards, the civic administration also started door-to-door collection.

"We collected around 1,20,493 kg of plastic waste from the city till May 21," said an official from the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department of BMC. He added that the drive will continue till the deadline issued by the High Court. Thereafter, the civic body will stop collecting plastic from the city.

A maximum of 45,205 kg plastic waste has been collected from the K East ward that includes Andheri, Vile Parle, and Jogeshwari. This is followed by Madanpura area under E ward, from where 35,000 kg plastic waste was collected.

The civic body has also planned to set up around 500 water bottle crushing machines across the city, starting from south Mumbai. Machines have already been set up in the BMC headquarter and is being installed at the Gateway of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Fort, Nariman Point, and some other important locations in South Mumbai.

Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Commissioner of A ward, said that a couple of machines will be installed in the ward to start the awareness campaign. "We will also check machine use and it success in crushing water bottles," he said.

The reason behind setting up the bottle crushing or shredding machines is to store maximum disposable plastic in limited space.

According to BMC officials, around 38 lakh water bottles are used everyday in Mumbai. "With this large quantity of waste being generated everyday, the civic body will require a lot of space to store it," said Dighavkar. He added that after crushing, it can be stored at dry waste centres. BMC has a total 37 dry waste collection centres and the plastic collected will be stored there.

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) is in the process of appointing plastic disposal agencies. "At present, there are only three centres in the state where plastic waste is disposed and MPCB will issue license to some more where the BMC will send the plastic collected," said a senior BMC official.

FOR PLASTIC BOTTLES

• According to BMC officials, around 38 lakh water bottles are used everyday in Mumbai.
   
• These can be stored at dry waste centres. 
   
• BMC has a total of 37 dry waste collection centres and the plastic can be stored there.