Deep Cleaning Drive in Mumbai: BMC Removes 1,042 Metric Tons Waste

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has removed 1042 metric tons of debris and 139 metric tons of waste through a deep cleaning drive in the city till December 15. Over the weekend, the drive was conducted in Byculla, Parel, Ghatkopar, and Chembur.

For the drive, about 3700 civic workers took part. Along with workers 33 JCBs, 148 dumpers, 21 compactors, 69 water tankers, 06 suction machines, 03 litter picker machines, 09 road sweeping machines, and 07 misting machines were deployed.

The municipal workers took down unauthorised advertising boards and abandoned cars. Maintaining parks and gardens, cleaning walkways and roads, and maintaining employee colonies and public restrooms were also included in the drive. 

On Sunday, December 17, in the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the drive started at 7 am at Amrut Nagar Circle in Ghatkopar and ended at Maharana Pratap Chowk in Byculla. The drive's route was Amrut Nagar Circle in Ghatkopar - Kamraj Nagar - Rajawadi Hospital - Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Garden - Tilak Nagar - Bhairav Nath mandir - Maharana Pratap Chowk in Byculla.

बृहन्‍मुंबई महानगरपालिकेतर्फे दर आठवड्यात एक दिवस प्रत्‍येक परिमंडळातील एका प्रशासकीय विभागात संपूर्ण स्‍वच्‍छता मोहीम राबविण्‍यात येत आहे. या अंतर्गत मुंबईतील पूर्व उपनगरांमध्ये होत असलेल्या कामांची मुख्‍यमंत्री श्री. एकनाथ शिंदे यांनी आज ठिकठिकाणी भेट देवून पाहणी केली. या… pic.twitter.com/rCZUgHeChI

— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) December 17, 2023

Last week, the cleaning drive was undertaken in Juhu, Chembur, Ghatkopar, and Kandivali. The CM himself participated in the drive and washed roads at Vile Parle with the help of water spray. He also visited Kandivali Thakur Complex and Ramabai Nagar at Ghatkopar. He cleaned roads and footpaths with high-pressure spray, in these two spots of Mumbai. Since December 3, the BMC has conducted an extensive sanitation campaign in one ward of each civic zone as per the CM's direction. 

The next two months will see the implementation of the drive. Additional staff members are also being assigned to the drive to ensure every lane is well-cleaned. Moreover, the BMC has assigned people to stop unauthorised parking throughout the city. After the waste is collected, BMC is also planning to make use of or recycle the waste as much as possible.

The civic body is planning to introduce biomethanation plants in five of the biggest civic-run hospitals of the megapolis. Each plant is expected to generate energy from over two metric tonnes of wet organic waste on a daily basis. The officials said that once treated the biogas will be used to fuel kitchens within hospital premises.

The five places designated for the pilot plan's implementation are KEM Hospital at Parel, Sion Hospital, Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, Sewri TB Hospital, and Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central, based on BMC's data. The upcoming plants, which will serve as miniature waste-to-energy plants, will use a process known as "continuous mesophilic anaerobic digestion" to produce nearly 170 units of electricity per day after treating and sorting almost 2000 kg of wet waste produced on hospital campuses.

Each plant, which occupies more than 2000 square feet, is said to have cost around INR 1 crore. The civic organisation has started the procurement process and requested bidders to submit proposals for the plant's installation and one-year upkeep.