Mumbai: Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, H.S. Puri, and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, held discussions on addressing the challenges of waste management in Mumbai. The meeting, attended virtually by key officials including the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, Municipal Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, and Secretary of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), focused on resolving issues related to Solid Waste Management.
Mumbai, as a vibrant urban hub, grapples with the management of approximately 7500 tons of waste generated daily from residential colonies, commercial spaces, and slums. The meeting addressed concerns related to wet and dry municipal waste, as well as construction and demolition waste from various infrastructure projects. Progress updates on approved waste management plants and the bioremediation of legacy dumpsites at Mulund and Deonar were also discussed. The potential collaboration with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for waste to bio-CNG plants was identified as a promising avenue for waste-to-wealth initiatives and promoting a circular economy.
To expedite solid waste processing and legacy dumpsite remediation in Mumbai, a 3-member team from MoHUA, chaired by the Secretary, and a 3-member team from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), chaired by the Commissioner, were designated to formulate an emergency action plan. This plan will pave the way for the subsequent implementation by BMC.
The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on October 1, 2021, under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0. The mission aims to make Indian cities garbage-free, with a specific objective of remediating 16 crore tons of legacy waste dumpsites, covering nearly 15,000 acres of city land parcels. In support of this goal, the Government of India has allocated ₹3400 crores for Swachh Bharat implementation in Maharashtra.