People who have been calling Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation names, blaming it for the recent havoc caused by the rains, should have been there when a drainage block at Antop Hill was being cleared on Wednesday. Out came steel utensils, truck tyres, shoes and a huge pile of plastic bags that could could have choked the Suez Canal. Who threw these objects into the drain? None of my staff, not the municipal commissioner nor the mayor. Then why were they blamed when the low-lying areas of Sion and King Circle, serviced by the blocked drain, were flooded?People said it was our responsibility to clear the drains in time for the monsoons. But what about their responsibility.
Newspapers quoted residents blaming us for not having been able to locate the problem for three days. Though I admit the delay caused immense inconvenience to them, does anybody realise that there are `n' number of drains, each several kilometres long and it takes time to pin-point a block, especially when its raining. We were alsocharged of doing a bad job of the pre-monsoon clean-up drive.
While some of the criticism may be justified, isn't it possible that the tyres, utensils, shoes and plastic bags found their way into the drain after it was cleaned? Were we expected to clean the drains and then guard them round-the-clock through the rainy season.
There is no denying the fact that it's our duty to collect and dispose of garbage. But, let me tell you one thing. We can't do it alone. `Clean Mumbai, Green Mumbai' will remain a dream without Mumbaiites' participation. And we don't expect you to pick up brooms and sweep the streets.
No. All that is expected of you is a little patience - hold on to that biscuit wrapper till you come across a dustbin. Walk up to the garbage bin instead of flinging your kachra through the window. Spit, if you have to, but not on the road. The age-old mindset that it's somebody else's responsibility to keep the city clean must change.
And wherever it has changed, the difference is visible. Theinitiative taken by the residents of Joshi Lane and Gilbert Lane has transformed the area. This is where I see a ray of hope. The 20 model streets that are being maintained by the residents with the active support of BMC is just the beginning. By next year, there will be over 2,000 such streets.
If Surat, which was one of the dirtiest cities in the country could do it, why can't we.But I am not promising any miracles. With the rate at which the city's population is growing, it's becoming increasingly difficult to sustain any initiative. Last year we managed to make Mumbai garbage free on August 15 but due to shortage of staff, the drive lost steam.
The effort did not go waste, though. It inspired people to think beyond their houses and their buildings. This awareness must grow now. For, cleanliness can't be forced on anybody, not in a city where over 50 lakh people stay in slums in abysmal living condition. The corporation has so far penalised 6.5 lakh people and collected Rs 3 crore since January lastyear for spitting and littering. But from now on stress will be on creating awareness and involving people in small and specific community initiatives.
The problems of Mumbai are peculiar - a large migratory population, unplanned growth of residential settlements and cultural and linguistic diversity. But then Mumbai has some very resourceful non-government organisations, business houses that take active interest in public causes and above all Mumbaiites that believe in the city and its ability to deliver.
(Ratnakar Gaikwad is the additional municipal commissioner of BMC)
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
