BMC Vows Strict Penalties As Private Contractors Caught Dumping Waste On Roads In Eastern Suburbs

Mumbai: The civic team recently observed that some private contractors have been illegally dumping waste collected from housing complexes onto public roads during nighttime hours. Taking serious cognisance of this malpractice, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Ashwini Joshi has directed officials to initiate strict action against the contractors involved.

Joshi reviewed the Solid Waste Management (SWM) operations in the eastern suburbs during a meeting held at the 'N' Ward office in Ghatkopar on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner (SWM) Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 6) Santoshkumar Dhonde, ward officers from all administrative wards in the eastern suburbs, and officials from the SWM department.

Joshi stressed that such violations would not be tolerated under any circumstances and warned that strict penalties would be imposed to ensure accountability and maintain cleanliness across the city. She added, "If sanitation workers from the BMC’s SWM Department perform their assigned duties sincerely, Mumbai can remain clean and beautiful." Emphasising the importance of teamwork, she directed assistant chief supervisors, junior engineers, and mukadams to coordinate closely and maintain effective communication to ensure seamless execution of responsibilities.

Furthermore, Joshi instructed all ward officers to regularly inspect and monitor the on-field presence and performance of sanitation staff in their respective areas. She also called for the preparation of a detailed, micro-level waste collection plan, taking into account local conditions, high footfall zones, and areas that generate significant volumes of waste.