PRESS RELEASE

JAGO MUMBAI JAGO!!

MUMBAI, November 21, 2009. A month back, there was a huge hulla bol
about residents of Mumbai complaining on getting colored/ dirty drinking
water in their houses. To which the Municipal Corporation responded in a
very cold-blooded manner by discarding the issue as just another joke/ false
news. This is nothing new as this happens every year during monsoons. After
a little investigation, we understood that the problem arose due to
accumulation of garbage at places, sewage water seeping into the pipe lines
supplying water and thus contaminating the water. That’s where we came
into picture & that’s how our journey started. Management of waste has
been a major issue in big cities like Mumbai. Reasons are lousy nature of
Government and careless attitude of people.

Today, in cities like Mumbai, where flyovers & sea-links are being
constructed, skyscrapers are built and while Mumbai is being changed to
Shanghai, the basic hygiene of the city is being ignored. You see people
throwing garbage in public places & government taking no strict action. As
per the rules mentioned under BMC Solid Waste Rules 2006, people would be
fined when they litter in public places. Do we see people being fined when
they litter?! Are people aware about these rules & regulations? As per our
research conducted on audience of 120 people, we noticed that 51 people
are aware of the BMC rules and 21 of these in spite of being aware ignore
the rules. Also, out of those 51, 37 ignore the rules Sometimes & 10 ignore
Many times. When questioned about such behaviour, people usually come up
with reasons, that the careless attitude is because the government rules are
not strictly implemented & the fact that they are not going to be fined is why
the attitude continues. Also, many people litter on streets justifying their
actions with “The BMC sweeper would sweep/clean it tomorrow, it’s his job
not mine, why worry?!” When asked the same to the government sweeper,

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the answer comes smooth, “Would they throw like this in their houses? It’s
people’s job to dispose the waste in dustbins provided by MC. And so on the
blame game continues.

If the government could do better implementation of the rules, it would be

able to control the behaviour of the citizens. Also, being citizens of a city, it is
our responsibility to keep our surroundings clean by disposing off waste in
proper manner. Our books do not say that flowers & garlands ought to be
disposed in water, then why do we see so many plastic bags with flowers &
debris floating in Bandra creek, Bhayandar creek, small lakes & ponds near
our homes. Also, how much time does it consume to dispose off the waste in
dustbins at public places?!

Let us as citizens take it as our responsibility to keep our surroundings & city
clean. And if gay rights could be fought for, then why can’t people’s force
unite for their self-betterment & come up with hygiene & waste management
solutions for everyone. Government ought to wake up & implement the BMC
Solid Waste Rules 2006. Government ought to either employee people or
shift people from cleaning department to waste check department, so that
waste-fine is properly implemented. Only if the citizens & government work
together for each other towards waste management can this city be a far
better place for everyone.

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About Ekta Foundation – is an NGO based in Virar, Mumbai researching and

working on waste management. Our Objectives are :- To assess the
magnitude of the present Waste and Water problem by identifying the
sources, types, quantities, dangers and opportunities they pose. Also, to
access the adequacy of the existing institutional arrangements, policies, laws
and regulations. And lastly, to develop a strategic and operational framework
that would assist to improve our solid waste management, to minimize the
negative impacts on humans and the environment, and to turn into an
economic opportunity.

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 GROUP 4
Ekta Foundation
“Come let’s work together”
Waste Management
Shirgao, Virar East
Thane

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