17 February,2016 03:02 PM IST | | Dharmendra Jore
Urban Development Department has directed the BMC that no new construction should be allowed if the developer does not create a facility for residents to segregate dry and wet garbage on the society premises
The prolonged fire at Deonar dumping ground brought the unresolved issue of waste disposal in the city to the fore.
The state government has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to implement measures for reducing a huge quantity of garbage that is carried to various dumping grounds on a daily basis.
A fire broke out at the 120-hectare Deonar dumping ground on January 27 this year, leading to a blanket of smoke over parts of the eastern suburbs, the island city and Navi Mumbai. The fire broke out again a couple of days ago, but it has been brought under control. Pic/Sameer Markande
The Urban Development Department (UDD) has issued a notification asking the BMC to focus mainly on segregating dry and wet garbage. It has directed the civic body to ensure that wet garbage is processed at the point of origin, be it housing societies or commercial complexes.
One of the four directives states that no new construction should be allowed if the developer does not create a facility for residents or occupants for segregating dry and wet garbage on the society premises. This should be the condition placed before granting permission for construction, says the notification.
CM Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the UDD, had told mid-day that segregation of dry and wet garbage was a main concern that needed to be addressed promptly. It was out of this concern that the CM has told UDD to issue strict directives to the BMC.
Another UDD directive allows waste segregation facility at a construction site (already existing and completed) admeasuring 2,000 sq m or more. It says that the wet garbage can be processed on the open spaces that are reserved for recreation (garden/playground) on the housing/commercial society premises. With this order, the societies which are willing to process wet garbage on their premises will not need to face red-tapism.
The government has asked the BMC to grant such permission without any hassles.
UDD has also asked BMC to make arrangement for segregating waste and processing wet garbage at ward level. "Each civic ward should have such segregation and processing facility. The BMC may begin with some civic wards," says the notification.
