Protest: NCP MLA dumps garbage outside

The heritage headquarters of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received an unusual midnight gift on Thursday — a truckload of garbage from Thane MLA. Protesting against the civic body’s inability to shut the Mulund dumping ground by January as assured,NCP MLA Jitendra Avhad ‘hijacked’ a BMC dumper truck that unloaded the garbage outside the gate of the BMC headquarters opposite to Azad Maidan. He also threatened to dump the garbage near the residences of Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak and other civic officials. However,an FIR has been filed in the issue.

Taking the responsibility,Avhad later said that the civic administration had assured in the winter session held in December that the Mulund dumping ground would be shut in a month’s time. “It’s more than a month and the dumping ground is still not shut. The stench is so strong that one cannot stand near that place,” he said.

Alleging that the civic officials are not serious,Avhad said he would dump the garbage near Phatak’s and Additional Municipal Commissioner R A Rajeev’s residences. “I have sent a letter to the BMC to take action in next 30 days,failing which they will have to face ‘very serious consequences’,” he said.

Rajeev said the civic administration was in a process to shut the 25-hectare dumping ground in Mulund. “The proposal is ready and it will be soon forwarded for the standing committee’s approval,” he said. Around 600 tonnes of garbage are dumped at this site everyday.