The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NNMC) solid waste management department (SWM) has introduced street plays to create awareness at gaothans and slum areas, in an attempt to achieve 100% waste segregation.
An official from the department said they have achieved 80% segregation in the satellite town, but are unable to achieve 100% despite regularly spreading awareness through banners and posters. They have therefore enlisted the support of a group to perform street plays and educate people of the importance of waste segregation. The plays will be held on weekends and public holidays and the department will spend Rs. 4,000 per play.
Tushar Pawar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Solid Waste Management saidthis is the first time the department had enlisted a group to educate citizens about waste segregation. “We started with the waste segregation in June 2016. However, despite constant awareness we are unable to achieve 100%.” The department has fined 53 people from January to June and collected a total fine of Rs 60,000 from people who failed to segregate waste from two zones in Navi Mumbai.
“Our target is 28 gaothans and 48 slums under NMMC’s jurisdiction,” said Rahendra Sonawane, Chief Sanitation officer, NMMC. The idea of running them on weekends and public holidays was that a maximum number of people could be reached. “The street play is very attractive and being in Marathi and Hindi catches citizen’s attention,” he said.
Kunal Meshram, a theatre artist and the president of Six Sence Multipurpose Foundation, said the base of the play is the tamasha — Maharashtra’s traditional folk dance. Each play lasts around 30 minutes, and is performed by five people. “We speak both in Marathi and Hindi to ensure everyone understands our message.”
From June 1, 2016, the SWM Department mandated all housing societies, residents’ associations, industries and hotels to separate wet (biodegradable) and dry (recyclable) waste before handing it over to the municipal staff. It has also introduced e-waste and hazardous waste segregation since June 25, 2017. The NMMC generates 650 metric tonnes (mt) of garbage per day, of which 190-200 mt is wet waste, while 190 mt is dry waste (including e-waste). Around 25-30 mt is green waste and the rest is mixed garbage.
