Mumbai: Mumbai generates about 9,400 metric tonnes of solid waste a day, of which 73% is food, vegetable, and fruit waste, while only 3% is plastic, said the environment status report released by the Brihanamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner (solid waste management), said if people compost wet or organic waste at their end, the daily waste generation could be reduced to less than 5,000 metric tonnes.
The BMC had, in June, announced that from October 2, it will be mandatory for all the bulk waste generators — whose premises are larger than 20,000 square metre and/or who produce more than 100 kg of wet waste a day — to compost their wet waste and only hand over the dry waste to the garbage collector.
Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta said housing societies could be granted a three-month extension if they gave an undertaking with a valid reason.
Experts have welcomed the BMC move. Hansu Pardiwala, co-founder and director, Hari Dharti Eco Solutions Pvt. Ltd., said it is time citizens took the responsibility. “If each building can compost its wet waste, we can reduce the burden of our landfills.”
Deonar dumping ground, the report said, receives approximately 34% of the trash, while Kanjurmarg and Mulund get 32% and 34%. Mulund and Deonar have nearly exhausted their capacity.
The civic body is also planning to set up compost units at vegetable markets. An official from the market department said that they are assessing the waste generation at various markets to finalise the location.
Adarsh Shetty, president, Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association, said hotels generate recyclable waste, but all of them are not in a position to set up compost plants. “Societies are not letting dump our waste in their units. We are ready to take our waste to the BMC plants.”
The solid waste management department of the civic body has achieved 95% of its door-to-door collection target. It has scored 53% in segregation of solid waste, 35% in recovering waste, and 32% in scientific disposal at landfills. Apart from the organic waste, the report said, the city generates organic dry — wood and cloth (3%), sand, stone and fine earth (17%), and recyclable material, paper plus metal (4%).
