BMC Eliminates 49 Garbage Vulnerable Points Across Mumbai Since December Drive

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has eliminated 49 out of 231 identified Garbage Vulnerable Points across Mumbai since launching a targeted cleanliness drive in December last year, recording progress in areas such as Malad, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, and Bhandup.

The civic administration achieved these reductions by upgrading garbage-collection infrastructure, imposing financial penalties, and deploying tailored interventions at chronic dumping locations. Civic officials noted that most Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) are situated near slums, commercial shops, and establishments where residents require immediate waste disposal options.

In S ward, covering Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, and Vikhroli, the BMC cleared five of its 12 identified GVPs, marking the highest reduction in the eastern suburbs. At the Nahur Crematorium in S ward, a legacy dump had developed due to a lack of house-to-house collection in surrounding buildings. Private workers previously collected trash from these buildings and dumped it at the site, causing waste to spill onto the street.

To address the issue at Nahur Crematorium, S ward Assistant Engineer for Solid Waste Management Sachin Gaikwad stated that the BMC extended door-to-door collection to 32 buildings and added extra bins. Bins were also installed near adjacent slums and gaothans, while bin attendants working in three shifts penalised violators.

In Tagore Nagar in Vikhroli, a market dumping spot was managed using a large end-of-day compactor, closed collection vehicles, and CCTV surveillance. At Mohtadevi in Kanjur Marg East, near the Eastern Express Highway, a small closed garbage van parked at the location was converted into a permanent collection point staffed by a driver and a civic worker.

In the western suburbs, P/North ward recorded the highest reduction by eliminating three of its 22 GVPs. On Lagoon Road in Malad, small-scale industries including sofa makers and garment units had been dumping wood, cloth, and manufacturing waste in roadside patches. Senior officials reported that financial fines effectively halted illegal dumping by these businesses.

Across the entire city, F/North ward recorded the highest number of cleared spots, eliminating nine of its 11 identified GVPs.

Despite the reported figures, civic watchdog groups and residents have raised concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of the drive. Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association, stated that garbage collection in slums under the Swachha Mumbai Prabodhan Abhiyan suffers from low worker attendance despite allocated funding.

Similarly, TrivanKumar Karnani, founder of the Mumbai North Central District Forum, questioned whether the BMC has established a permanent mechanism to maintain these locations and prevent waste dumping from resuming after being marked as eliminated.