BMC spends Rs 3 crore daily to keep Mumbai’s 10 beaches clean

After a long pending demand from citizens and activists, the city beaches finally get their glory back. With the installation of light lamps across the nine beaches, with an expenditure of more than Rs 3 crores daily for cleaning ten beaches, 93 lifeguards with security equipment to prevent drowning incidents and installation of trash brooms on rivers and nullah mouth to prevent waste drowning into the sea, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ensured clean beaches in the last year.

Mumbai has a beautiful coastline but not many tourists preferred to visit sand beaches. But in the last year, the scenario has changed, thanks to the activists and various NGOs involved in the cleanliness drive. The BMC has taken up the initiative and the beaches are slowly but steadily getting their glory back.

The BMC has awarded contracts of cleaning of the beaches which are in total 35.5 km in length. "The civic body is spending more than Rs 3 lakh daily for cleaning activity from Girgaon to Gorai. In monsoon the garbage quantity gets double and so the cost," said an officer from solid waste management. He added, "With recently added Chimbai/ Warinpada beaches from Bandra in the list and going for a long term contract for Dadar-Mahim in the next few months, the coastline will be cleaner." The civic body collects approximately 229 MT garbage daily in dry days, costing Rs 2,58,697 per day. In monsoon, the garbage quantity raises up to 389 MT with total cost escalating to Rs. 3,32,599.

On the other hand, seven trash booms placed on the mouth of rivers and nullah to prevent waste go into the sea. The storm water department installed four trash boom on rivers- Oshiwara, Mithi, Dahisar and Poisar rivers and a three on Mogra, Irla and Lovegrove nullahs. "These prevent materials such as bottles and plastic bags from entering the sea. The cost for the system to be installed is Rs 1.17 crore," said an officer from Storm Water Department.

Rs 10 cr Yearly cost for cleaning all beaches - Approximately
Rs 1.17 cr Trash boom
Rs 27 cr Lamppost 
Rs 4.5 cr Lifeguard service (per year)