Seven housing societies in Chembur have been fined ₹15,000 each for refusing to comply with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) guidelines to segregate waste and convert it into compost. The magistrate court imposed a cumulative fine of ₹1.05 lakh on the housing societies, which include RCF Colony, Runwal Center Co-operative Housing Society, MSEB Colony and Tolaram Nagar.
Taking legal action
On October 2 last year, the BMC began issuing notices to 5,304 big housing societies that generated garbage in excess of 100 kg daily. In February, civic authorities decided to take action against societies that failed to install composting units on their premises. The M-East Ward had issued notices to 32 housing societies and moved the metropolitan magistrate court against 11 housing societies that refused to comply with the guidelines.
Four housing societies have been given 30 days to set up composting units. The residents of these societies are employees at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking, INS Tanaji and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
Rajkumar Sharma, co-ordinator of NGO Agni in M-East Ward, said, “Under the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2016, the BMC is responsible for processing the solid waste generated in the city. It is not the people’s responsibility to treat garbage.
“In fact, the BMC itself does not segregate garbage. In Chembur, advanced locality management groups had been composting waste, but the BMC deregistered them and demolished their compost bins. Fires still break out in dumping grounds in Chembur. Shouldn’t the BMC be held accountable for polluting the environment?
