New civic chief Praveen Pardeshi offers a ‘solid’ proposal

Solid waste management in Mumbai is among the top priorities of senior bureaucrat Praveen Pardeshi who took charge as the BMC chief on Monday.

Spelling out his vision for the metropolis, which generates over 7,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, the civic commissioner said housing societies segregating the discarded material at their end will get relief in property tax.

Handling solid waste has been one of the biggest challenges for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. While it has made it compulsory for societies to recycle their waste, the diktat has not produced desired results.

Pardesh, a 1985-batch IAS officer who has also served as the Pune civic commissioner, said he was confident that the property tax incentive will help the BMC achieve its goal. "We did it in Pune. The whole Magarpatta area is a fine example of waste management. If societies are recycling their waste, it ultimately eases the burden of the BMC. Hence, the societies deserve to get exemption in property tax in return," he told DNA.

Also Read: Mumbaikars keen to have a clean city, onus on us now, says Praveen Pardeshi

However, property tax is the main source of income for the BMC. Also, its collection is likely to be hit following the state's recent announcement that houses with an area up to 500 sq feet will be exempt from this levy.

Asked if an exemption to societies will further affect this crucial revenue source, Pardeshi cited the example of New York. He said the US city receives more income from traffic charges than property tax. "Mumbai too can follow its footsteps."

The new BMC chief said he is also hopeful of implementing the long-pending parking policy with help from Mumbaikars.