‘When women are at the helm, perspective changes,’ says BMC’s first woman commissioner
In an interview to The Indian Express, Ashwini Bhide on fixing the basics and breaking the mould
Ashwini Bhide, IAS A month since taking charge as the first woman commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Ashwini Bhide, IAS, speaks to Nayonika Bose and Pratip Acharya about the city’s infrastructure reforms, her key challenges as an administrator and why her appointment comes bearing the promise of “change in perspective” within an administration long dominated by men.
You have completed a month as commissioner. Your appointment comes at a time, when the city is witnessing an infrastructure churn with the BMC at the centre of it. What do you look forward to?
Being a major contributor to big ticket projects is only one aspect of the BMC. As a civic body, our mandatory duties entail provision of good roads, managing municipal solid waste, sanitation services, water supply, primary health, primary education and other social services, which we have been quietly doing for many years. Big ticket infra projects may grab more eyeballs, but what matters is civic amenities.
For example, we are undertaking the sewage treatment plant project, which is a combination of massive infrastructure as well as a civic necessity. The project is currently in an advanced stage where we expect to treat almost 2200 MLD of sewage as well as boost Mumbai’s water supply by 1100 MLD. Such big projects are important to improve the liveability of the city.
BMC for the first time has three women at the helm, besides the Mayor and the Leader of Opposition. How do you think this will make a difference for the common woman of Mumbai?
As an administrator, I have always remained gender neutral and seen myself as an officer first. But I also believe that women have their own perspective of inclusivity, detailing and understanding of issues such as space. It will be unfair to generalise as the field of civic administration is dominated by men and they have done a great job. At the same time, women can bring more sensitivity to certain aspects. Especially, women’s issues could be better understood by women officers.
For example, a woman living in a chawl will be more impacted by lack of water supply as she not only has to work but manage the household chores. Aspects like these can perhaps be better understood by women. While there is no data to show who understands inclusivity and accessibility issues better, women may be more sensitive to those issues.
When women are at the helm of the affairs, the perspective changes… And any change is better for the system because it breaks the norm, it breaks the myth, it breaks the monotony. So, from that perspective, I think it is good.
From Friday, a 10 per cent water cut has been imposed across the city, which continues to be heavily dependent on rainfall for water supply. How is the BMC planning to reduce this dependency in the coming years?
Rainfall dependency cannot be entirely eliminated because our water supply fundamentally comes from rainwater stored in dams. Mumbai receives around 4,200 MLD of water, and that source will continue to be rainfall-based. However, we are looking at diversification of sources through desalination plants and reuse of treated sewage water. We also need to improve water efficiency by reducing leakages caused by ageing pipelines and infrastructure, replacing old valves and pipes, and ensuring that not even a single drop of water is wasted.
Since you are talking about upgrading the basic amenities, what are some key issues that you want to focus on?
One sector is healthcare. We have hospitals and good health infrastructure where we not only provide primary healthcare, but also secondary and tertiary healthcare. However, there is a huge gap between physical infrastructure and soft infrastructure. Healthcare is not just about buildings but also about doctors, nurses, equipment and efficient systems. To address these, we need to explore models like public-private partnerships and ensure healthcare remains affordable.
Waste management in Mumbai remains a perpetual problem. How do you plan to tackle this issue?
Cleanliness is always a work in progress in a city like Mumbai. The challenge is massive because BMC caters to nearly 1.3 to 1.4 crore people daily, and nearly half that population lives in slum settlements where waste collection becomes far more complicated. In non-slum areas, waste management is relatively easier because daily collection systems function better. However, one persistent issue is garbage accumulation in slum pockets and vulnerable locations. We have identified around 140 garbage-vulnerable points across the city where waste dumping frequently occurs. Each ward has now been tasked with systematically eliminating these spots through regular monitoring, public education and improved systems.
There is also a financial liability of ₹2.5 lakh crore and BMC’s financial reserves are dipping. How are you planning to augment the revenue?
Last year, BMC generated nearly ₹12,000 crore through development premium (DP) charges and premiums for floor space index (FSI). Considering the massive number of real estate development projects that are underway, DP and FSI premium charges have become a huge source of revenue for BMC. Apart from this, we have submitted projects under the Government of India’s Urban Challenge Fund and are seeking support from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), where we expect funding in the range of ₹5,000–10,000 crore. Additionally, BMC is actively working towards raising municipal bonds, which we aim to float likely within the next six to seven months.
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