Two months since the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported 39 instances of ten contractors mixing construction debris with solid waste to show increased weight of garbage collected for higher payment, the police are yet to file an FIR in the matter. According to civic officials, they had written to police stations about the alleged cheating by garbage contractors. Besides writing to the concerned police stations, the civic body had issued show cause notices to the ten contractors. According to BMC Additional Commissioner Vijay Singhal, the civic body had received information of several dumpers bringing in solid waste mixed with debris or construction waste to show increased weight. Following this, in August, Singhal ordered videographing of dumpers unloading waste at garbage collection stations, which led to the detection of the malpractice. Deputy Municipal Commissioner Vijay Balamwar said, “The move not only stopped the malpractice, but it will help cut down the civic body’s expenses towards solid waste transportation.” The matter was debated at the civic body’s standing committee meeting this week and Leader of Opposition and Congress corporator Ravi Raja had sought detailed information on the action initiated against the ten contractors. As per the tender conditions, contractors hired at the four refuse transport centres are paid on the basis of weight of garbage collected. As part of the Vehicular Tracking system (VTS), the dumpers are weighed at the entrance of the refuse transport stations. The contractors are paid Rs 40 per tonne for debris and construction waste. To transport and dump solid waste (wet and dry) the civic body pays them Rs 875 per tonne. “The move to videograph dumpers unloading solid waste for almost a week in August was undertaken to verify the complaint that contractors are mixing debris with solid waste. Following the videography, it was found that debris was being mixed with waste to show increased weight and claim more payment. Action was initiated against these contractors by the civic body and the malpractice has been stopped completely. However, this amounts to cheating and the police should have acted,” said an official from the Solid Waste management (SWM) department. Of the 39 cases, SWM officials had detected 24 instances by five contractors in September. Of the 24 instances, seven were in K east ward (Andheri east, Vile Parle east, Jogeshwari) five in L ward (Kurla, Sakinaka), four in H east ward (Bandra east, Santacruz), two each in G north ward (Dadar, Sion, Dharavi) and P north ward (Malad west) and one each in E ward (Byculla), R central ward (Borivali east) and R north ward (Dahisar east). Besides, one instance was detected at Kurla refuse transport centre in Kurla west. The BMC had given written complaints citing all instances by the ten contractors at Vikhroli, Kurla, Mulund, Borivali and Agripada police stations. A senior official from the SWM department said, “BMC has making a lot of effort in bringing down the city’s daily output of solid waste. The figure that was 9,500 metric tonne in April 2016, has now been brought down to 7,500 metric tonne. To further reduce this, waste segregation centres are being set up. Till date, BMC has managed to set up 38 waste segregation centres across the city.” When contacted, Sanjay Khanvilkar, senior police inspector, Oshiwara police station, said, “I will have to verify the issue before initiating any action.”
