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DNA Exclusive: Builders employing ingenuity to dodge waste handling rules

It is mandatory for all new buildings to have a permanent arrangement for segregation of waste before they are granted a no-objection certificate from the BMC

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Construction on new projects in Mumbai is expected to gain pace with the Supreme Court temporarily lifting a high court-imposed freeze, a punishment for the city's failure to manage waste, but it is unlikely to improve ground realities.

Deep-seated nexus between builders and officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will continue to derail efforts towards efficient handling of waste, a pre-condition for creating residential and commercial spaces, DNA has learnt from activists and civic officials.

The HC had in 2016 halted construction projects on the grounds that landfills at Deonar and Mulund were filled to brim. Mumbai generates about 7,500 metric tonnes of dry and wet garbage a day.

It is mandatory for all new buildings to have a permanent arrangement for segregation of waste before they are granted a no-objection certificate from the BMC. The civic body receives nearly 1,000 proposals for new construction a year.

Here comes the big con.

Officials and activists said developers use dodgy tactics to secure the mandatory NOC without actually complying with the rules. DNA has learnt, builders in many cases instal an organic waste converter machine on the premises before an inspection, only to send it to other sites later.

An activist, who preferred to be quoted off the record for fear of reprisal, said he was aware of projects at Grant Road and Goregaon by two prominent builders using this ingenious method. "But it is done in collusion with officials from BMC's solid waste management department who visit the site." The builder then converts the space, which varies between 100 and 200 sq ft, to parking slots and makes money, he said.

The malpractice doesn't just end here. Activists said that many of the junior overseer officers, who visit project sites to check adherence to BMC rules, deal in organic waste converter in the name of their family members.

An organic converter machine can cost anywhere between Rs 4 lakh (for 100 families) and Rs 10 lakh for a big society. Activists said a junior BMC official makes anywhere between Rs 25,000 and Rs 100,000 to ensure solid waste management NOCs. The NOCs are mandatory to get the commencement certificate for a building.

Builders are also reluctant to take the burden of an additional responsibility, said experts. They said waste management in metropolis cannot be left at the mercy of corrupt agencies alone. "It is not only the municipal authorities, but also vigilant citizens who need to take ownership of waste that they generate," said Dr. Poonam Hudar, founder of Environmental Greenliness.

IC Sisodia, former chief of BMC's vigilance Cell said the waste issue has reached mammoth proportions due to corruption. "We require a strong vigilance agency. There are good people in the BMC. You have to locate, select and appoint them. BMC needs to increase awareness among the citizens of waste segregation. Instead, the BMC has shut down its vigilance department."

Developers' bodies say courts have been unfairly targeting builders who are not solid waste management experts. "Nobody is penalising the BMC and the Collector's office for not finding land for waste disposal. The SC order is a temporary relief to the developer community. However, stopping the work altogether is bad for the business and not a solution," said Anand Gupta of Builders Association of India.

A senior official from the BMC's building proposal department said they send proposals to the solid waste management officer at ward offices to check if the rules are followed. "It is only after the SWM officer gives his NOC, which also includes debris management, we issue the commencement certificate to the builder."

CON & COLLUSION

  • Officials said builders install organic waste converter at sites before inspection, only to remove it later. Many of the BMC staffers deal in such devices in the names of their kin
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