Mumbai's Daily Waste Surges To 7,300 Tonnes During Diwali Week

Mumbai generated over 3,000 metric tonnes of additional garbage equivalent to 162 truckloads, over the last week, amid Diwali festivities.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the metropolis witnessed an increase of about 600 to 700 metric tonnes of waste per day, taking the daily average to 7,300 metric tonnes between October 18 and 21.

Currently, Kanjurmarg handles the bulk of the city’s waste, while Deonar receives only about 10 %. Of the 3,075 metric tonnes of additional waste generated during this period, a total of 2,075 metric tonnes was disposed of at Kanjur and Deonar dumping grounds. Clearance of the remaining 1,000 metric tonnes from transfer stations is underway on war footing.

While the city generates 6,900 metric tonnes of average solid waste daily (as per data until September), the quantum of waste generated per day jumped to 7,300 metric tonnes daily during ongoing festivities — marking an increase of 400 metric tonnes per day.

The BMC added that regular cleaning drives were conducted across Mumbai and its suburbs, supported by special sanitation campaigns during the festive period.

Workers from the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Department operated round the clock to ensure the city remained clean and hygienic throughout the celebrations.

Over the past decade, the city generated 9,000–10,000 MT of waste daily. Through initiatives like source segregation of dry and wet waste, setting up dry waste centres, and mandating wet waste processing units for bulk generators, the BMC successfully reduced daily waste to 6,900 MT.