The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has extended the deadline to November 15 for institutions generating wet garbage of 100 kg or more per day to implement composting at source.
Officials from the Solid Waste Management Department said that the deadline was extended after housing societies requested additional time to set up composting units. The NMMC had sent letters in August to 2,000 housing societies and 90 hotels that generated 100 kg and above of wet waste per day.
Tushar Pawar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Solid Waste Management Department, said, “We understand that composting is a new concept. To create awareness, we had set up a composting machine at Army Colony in Sector 9 in Nerul on an experimental basis for a week.”
Now, two additional units have been installed at R.R. Patil Garden at Sector-19 A and Koparkhairane Nisarg Udyan at Sector-14 for a period of 40 days. Mr. Pawar said garbage would not be cleared at housing societies, corporate bodies and hotels if they did not comply with the rules.
Arun Waghmare, secretary, Jai Maharashtra Society, Sector 9 in Vashi, said, “We supported the concept of waste segregation. However, composting within the society is not possible. The health of people will be compromised by the gasses emitted from the compost. There’s also lack of space and infrastructure. We pay taxes to the corporation, but they don’t want to take responsibility for the garbage.”
Dayanand Shetty, president, Navi Mumbai Hotel Association, said, “There is already a shortage of space and the majority of the hotels are located within a complex. How will a hotel be able to compost at source? Isn’t it the duty of the corporation to make rules that are realistic?”
Ranjit Singh, chief estate manager, NRI Seawoods Phase- I, said, “We are roping in some experts to help us at composting. We hope to set up a unit soon.”
Dr. Bakhtaver S. Mahajan, trustee, Indian Women Scientists’ Association, said, “We must have a good understanding of the science of composting as it would provide us with manure and biogas. Citizens need to change their outlook towards managing waste.”
Arati Chauhan, a Navi Mumbai-based activist, said, “It is time to have composting units to be set up in every flat and society. I have been composting wet waste for the past 26 years by placing it in a pot with dry leaves. It is duty of the civic body to educate residents. They should set up composting units in every node and not just in one or two places.”
N. Makhijani, secretary, Lenyadri Cooperative Housing Society, in Nerul (E), Sector 19A, said: “We began composting in our society two years ago with the help of the Stree Mukti Sanghatana.”
