Mumbai: Despite ongoing infrastructural development across the city, the barricades have become an eyesore due to a lack of proper maintenance. These barricades have been subjected to public neglect, with spitting and a considerable accumulation of dust and filth around them, contributing to the overall shabby appearance along the roads and causing hardships to pedestrians and commuters.
To address this issue, the BMC has launched a comprehensive cleanliness drive aimed at clearing away unclaimed debris, broken paver blocks, and damaged dividers commonly found at construction sites throughout Mumbai. The drive will begin on Saturday at 7 am and continue until Sunday at 6 pm.
Several major infrastructure projects, including Metro work and road concretisation, are currently underway in Mumbai. However, in certain areas, coarse sand and debris have been carelessly spread across the roads, leading to accidents, particularly involving motorcycles, and contributing to severe traffic congestion on key routes. This has created challenges for pedestrians and commuters.
So, the BMC’s Solid Waste Management (SWM) department has announced a cleanliness drive to remove debris and ensure the proper maintenance of all public infrastructure construction sites along the city’s main roads. The two-day drive will begin on December 14 at 7 am across all 24 administrative wards in Mumbai.
“Each Assistant Engineer (SWM) will identify roads with barricades and organise a cleanliness drive. Barricades will be washed using pressure jets, and surrounding dust, filth, and debris will be cleaned with the help of necessary manpower and machinery. Separate dumpers will collect the debris, including paver blocks, broken dividers, and brick blocks, which will be sent to the Construction and Debris (C&D) Waste Processing Plant for proper disposal. Misting machines will also be used to control dust,” said a senior civic official.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Engineer (Operations) will oversee the drive, providing necessary equipment like mechanical sweepers, mud suckers, and litter pickers. The Deputy Chief Engineer (SWM – Projects) will track the amount of debris collected and ensure its proper disposal at the C&D Waste Plant.
Assistant Engineers (SWM) will deploy manpower and machinery to optimise the drive’s impact. “They will also document the drive with photos, videos, and before-and-after comparisons, sharing them on social media. Funds will be allocated based on merit after scrutiny. Senior officials will inspect the work on Monday to ensure standards are met and the city’s image is maintained,” the official added.
