Mumbai: To combat the illegal dumping of construction and demolition debris, civic authorities are taking decisive action. They plan to install CCTV surveillance at 60 key locations across Andheri, Malad, and Borivali. A tender for the installation of cameras in these three civic wards will be issued within the next month. Currently, the BMC handles the daunting task of clearing approximately 100 to 150 metric tons of debris dumped on roadsides daily.
The BMC is grappling with challenges in tackling the illegal dumping of debris on city roads. According to civic sources, the construction debris is being illegally dumped primarily at night by unidentified people. Despite efforts by civic teams in various wards to monitor and prevent such activities through vigilant surveillance, these measures have so far proven ineffective in curbing illegal dumping.
To address the issue of illegal debris dumping, R Central ward took proactive steps by issuing a tender in February to install CCTV cameras at five locations as a pilot project. Unfortunately, this initiative faced setbacks and had to be canceled due to technical issues and the implementation of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections in June. Following the delays, the civic body has now resolved to install 60 CCTV cameras in strategic locations: R/Central (Borivali East and West), K/West (Andheri West), and P/North (Malad West).
"These CCTV cameras will be installed at locations where debris is frequently dumped. A control room will be established in the respective civic ward offices to monitor these areas. The precise location data and images captured by the CCTV will enable us to identify and apprehend the violators," said a senior civic official. Despite the BMC's provision of an on-call service for lifting and disposing of construction waste up to 300 metric tonnes at nominal charges, several instances of debris dumping on roads have been reported in the civic wards, according to an official.
