Garbage piles up at Chimbai, Danda beaches as BMC yet to renew contract

Unlike Juhu or Versova beaches which see a huge influx of tourists, Chimbai and Danda beaches are essentially fishing villages largely inhabited by fisherfolk who also park their boats in the shallow waters.

Each year, the BMC’s H/West (HW) ward appoints a contractor through its Solid Waste Management (SWM) department to collet garbage from the area. However, this year, after the term of the contract expired in March, no new appointments have been made.

Asif Zakaria, former corporator from Bandra (West), said, “Under the BMC’s annual cleaning contract, dumpers as well as JCBs used to come regularly to pick up and clear the floating material on the sea as well as garbage from locals’ homes. Furthermore, contracted manual labourers cleaned and swept both the beaches regularly. This year, as the BMC has not renewed its contract, this cleaning work stopped in March and complaints from local fisherfolk, who are the original inhabitants of Mumbai, are on the rise.”

“The sea throws out a lot of garbage and since Chimbai is the first beach after Mahim outfall, residents have been complaining that a lot of garbage gets deposited by the bay from the Mahim Influent Pumping Station (IPS).

Fisherfolk who go out to the sea complain that a lot of plastic gets washed ashore”, said Zakaria, adding that the corporation must not neglect these beaches merely because they were not tourist spots.

Warren Falcon, a resident of Chimbai village said, “The main road runs through the centre of the Chimbai village, dividing the village into two sections. For the people who stay in the east section of the road, garbage is collected by the BMC garbage van that comes on the road, whereas, those who stay on the west side of the road, keep their bins near the sea shore, which were cleared by BMC regularly”.

However, last month, after the contract expired, the bins placed at the beach were not cleared leading to accumulation of piles of garbage.

“We started facing hygiene issues and there was a lot of stench. Furthermore, the filth attracted a lot of animals which started spreading plastic and other garbage around the area. We then got in touch with Asif Zakaria who informed us that the contract term had expired.”

Meanwhile, to deal with the existing heap of garbage the locals have temporarily started placing their bins at another designated area from where the BMC vans collect the garbage.

A civic body official, requesting anonymity, said, “The tendering process for the annual beach contract is complete and we have also finalised the contractor. We are in the final stage of obtaining the sanctions, after which the work orders will be placed.”