How do you meet the segregation challenge?
As per new SWM rules, we have provided every society two dustbins, one is for dry and one is for wet, but still people are not accustomed of using them separately. They often mix up both the wastes. This is why we have to keep segregators at the end level too.
To improve the awareness level in the City, our efforts are through health education, community participation and street plays. We are continuously hitting the people’s mind to have a change in the attitude. However, it may take another 10 – 15 years.
Managing e-Waste
E-waste management is at a preliminary stage. We are segregating e-waste at the landfill and have outsourced this activity.
What about the wastewater treatment facility?
Navi Mumbai is the only City in India where there is 100% sewage connectivity. I can’t recall any other City in this regard. This is the biggest advantage for Navi Mumbai. Second thing is that we are treating the entire sewerage water before it gets discharged, hence no water pollution. We are now exploring their applications, because according to the government of India, one must reuse 20% of the treated water. Currently, we are using two to three percent of treated water.
It can be directly used in gardens, cold storages etc, but we are trying to find out big customers such as thermal power companies. However, there are no thermal power stations nearby Navi Mumbai. Laying down of piping to the nearest Chembur thermal plant costs around 300-400 crores — not practically or financially feasible.
What are the challenges being faced by the Corporation?
A big challenge is to sensitize the people for the segregation at source, make them aware about the importance of water resources as the rest of Maharashtra and the Country is currently facing water crisis. For the luxury of having bath in clean water, people have no access to drinkable water. People must understand and aware of these things… that water comes at a cost, and hence must not be misused.
Secondly, don’t burn anything; don’t burn plastic or garbage. It is tough call to make everyone aware about health & hygiene. Once they have this attitude in life, they can easily escape through the epidemic diseases.
Is there any civil work, where the Corporation is involved directly?
No, each & everything is being outsourced. You name anything and I will name the agency. While the mechanized sweeping is done by Anthony Waste Handling Sales Pvt Ltd and BVG India, STP is managed by Gharpure Engineering & Construction and Khillari Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. The landfill site is maintained by Navi Mumbai Waste Processing Co.
Be it, door-to-door waste collection, waste transport, garbage disposal, treatment, water supply, water distribution systems, maintenance of water supply or giving water bins to the community, everything is outsourced. Also outsourced are certain areas in hospitals: linen, laundry, kitchen, housekeeping and X-ray services. This way 20% of our work is administrative and 80% is for development.
So given all these work to private agencies, how do you monitor?
We have developed a good tendering system with strict terms and conditions. The tenders are performance oriented. If they perform well they will be paid, if they don’t perform, they will not get paid.
We have deputed various inspectors and supervising staff to have a check on the day-to-day work. Further, weekly monitoring, and then fortnight monitoring are also done.
Many of the existing NMMC’s public toilets are non-functional…
Yes, we have come to know that at many of the toilets, hygiene is not maintained and now we are already working on this, and doing all the necessary beautification needed to reopen these public toilets. So far, we have given these toilets to the NGOs and they are following ‘pay and use’ sustainable model. However, we too have noticed that it is not working, people are not interested in paying as they find it unclean. Under Swachh Bharat Mission, we have taken decision to fund them and hence some toilets can be accessed free by the community. NGOs will also get certain amount for the better maintenance.
We have also installed e-toilets that are unmanned and self-cleaning; can be monitored through internet. So far, it has been installed at Than
e-Belapur road and Palm Beach road. Installed and managed by AK Electricals & Works, JK Enterprises and SR Itkapalle, the 10 e-toilets are part of our pilot project. Post inauguration, let us see how people react to that.
While outsourcing, be it city cleaning, how do you get the desired brand or equipment ?
We include the desired specifications in our tenders. For example, in case of mechanical sweepers we specify the compressors’ efficiency and tank capacity and so on.
What are the future plans?
Future plan is to install RFID to the dustbins for better monitoring, educate people for segregation and health & hygiene habits.
NMMC’s efforts under Clean India Mission…
We have got three “Swachhta Abhiyan Paritoshik” from the government of Maharashtra for the year 2002, 2006 and 2007. So it started long back, but time and again people need to be sensitized and with this mission, we might succeed with more participation coming from government and politicians.
