Mira Bhayander: MBMC inducts 24 new garbage collection vans, to set up own fleet

The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has chalked out an elaborate plan of purchasing 117 garbage collection vehicles – including 33 refuse compactors and 84 covered trucks – of various capacities to set up its own fleet. This is apart from 32 mini 'bell' garbage vans (ghanta-gaadi) for the efficient disposal of garbage and door-to-door waste collection.

The first batch of 24 brand-new garbage collection vans has been inducted. This includes 18 medium and six large-sized ones having the capacity to ferry 3 tonnes and 7 tonnes of garbage, respectively. The cost of the entire procurement is pegged at Rs 18 crore.

In 2020, the government had allotted Rs 42 crore for the MBMC as additional resources to strengthen its day-to-day cleanliness network and the upgradation of its waste management mechanism. However, a major part of the funds is yet to be released.

The MBMC had inked a five-year contract in 2012 with a private agency, to lift garbage and ferry it to the waste processing unit. While the groundwork is being done by subcontractors, the agency has been on-extension mode, since the tender expired in 2017.

Due to the blind eye turned by the contractors towards regular upkeep, most of the vehicles are in a sorry state and need urgent repair work. Despite the expiry of fitness certificates in 2016, some vehicles which are still transporting garbage are not only spilling filth and posing a health hazard, but also proving to be killers on the road.

Apart from 8-10 tonnes of industrial and biomedical waste, the Mira-Bhayandar region generates around 550 metric tonnes of garbage every day.