Garbage bins outside societies in Vashi are overflowing after the solid waste management (SWM) department of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) stopped lifting garbage as they were not segregated.
The housing societies are blaming the wrong timing and poor implementation of the waste segregation rules by the civic administration.
In the first week of August, the civic body sent out notices to housing societies across the city and asked them to segregate dry and wet waste, else waste they will not lift it. The civic body also warned of actions for not segregation.
Divya Vaibhaw Gaikwad, a former corporator from Vashi says that she has been flooded with phone calls and messages from residents regarding the non-lifting of garbage.
Residents complain that while in other areas in Vashi, the vehicles are taking segregated dry and wet waste in different plastic bags, they are only forced to even remove waste from the plastic bag in which wet waste was stored.
The waste collection vehicles say that the plastic bag is itself dry waste and it cannot be given with the wet waste.
As many households store wet waste in a plastic bag and dump it in a blue garbage bin given by NMMC to every housing society, similarly, there is a green bin for dry waste.
As per the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, every household has to segregate dry and wet waste at the source mandatorily. The law has a provision for penal action against the erring housing society.
Amol Deokar, a resident of Ashtavinayak Apartment in sector 4 in Vashi says that for the past four days, garbage has not been lifted and now they are living with a foul smell. “They gave one day time to segregate waste and even if a small chocolate wrapper is found in wet waste, they refuse to take it,” said Deokar. Other residents too have similar views and sought cooperation.
Babasaheb Rajale, deputy commissioner (SWM) says that as per the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, waste segregation is mandatory. “The law is equal for everyone and all housing societies have to segregate waste,” said Rajale, however, he assured that he would look into the non-lifting of garbage and send officials to sort out issues if there are any.
