Instead of severing water, power for not adhering to rules, civic body will fine them

Diluting its stance on garbage segregation and disposal by housing societies that measure over 20,000 sq.m., the BMC has said it will fine them for not treating and segregating waste generated. Earlier, the civic body had threatened such societies with disconnection of power and water supply, among other measures.

Also, BMC will continue to collect garbage from these big societies. Vijay Balamwar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), said, “We’re not looking at disconnection of their water or electricity connectivity as of now. We will also continue to collect garbage from them as before. The BMC has introduced fines beginning from Rs. 1,000 for each instance of non-compliance, and Rs. 100 daily thereafter. We’ll also recommend action against these big societies by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. Certain provisions of the Maharashtra Town Planning Act will also be invoked, which could mean imprisonment for one to three months.”

Big societies had been clubbed with five star hotels and hospitals, and had been told to treat and dispose their garbage on their own. Failure to do so would invite severe penalties, a BMC notice had said.

Now, these societies will be expected to set up mandatory compost vermiculture pits on their premises. The civic body has sent notices to over 4,000 societies asking them to comply with solid waste management rules.

Not on: corporators

Ravi Raja, Congress corporator and Leader of the Opposition in the BMC, said, “I can understand five star hotels being asked to dispose of their own garbage, but how can residential societies be asked to do so? What system does the BMC have in place to collect and dispose of garbage? The Congress is planning to file a PIL on this issue.”

BJP group leader Manoj Kotak said, “Let the BMC first explain how it disposes of garbage, before asking people to do so on their own. Do they have the resources? How fair is it to ask people to dispose of it on their own? Ideally, this should be done by the civic body by adopting scientific methods at the dumping grounds.”

Amber Sukhi, committee member at Mercury society, which is part of the 852 flats in Phase 1 of Evershine Millennium Paradise in Kandivali’s Thakur Village, said, “It’s a huge relief for societies like ours that don’t have free space at all, as the space below the garden has a septic tank.

“We were weighing options on where to have the vermiculture pit. At the moment, we’re composting in drums, which take 25 days for processing. This is under observation.”

It’s a huge relief for societies like ours that don’t have free space at all, as the space below the garden has a septic tank. At the moment, we’re composting in drumsAmber SukhiCommittee member, Mercury society