Following the meeting, the group leaders met civic chief Ajoy Mehta and discussed their demands to relax the deadline. Mehta has agreed to give an extension on a case-to-case basis. Following the meeting, the group leaders met civic chief Ajoy Mehta and discussed their demands to relax the deadline. Mehta has agreed to give an extension on a case-to-case basis. CORPORATORS across party lines on Monday — during the general body meeting — objected to the Solid Waste Management department’s deadline of discontinuing garbage collection from bulk generators from October 2. Following the meeting, the group leaders met civic chief Ajoy Mehta and discussed their demands to relax the deadline. Mehta has agreed to give an extension on a case-to-case basis. During the meeting, corporators demanded that the civic body’s circular asking for discontinuing collection of garbage from commercial and residential buildings, which produce more than 100 kg of solid waste daily, be scrapped. The circular said the buildings will have to process waste on the premises. Corporators like Congress group leader Ravi Raja and Samajwadi party’s Raees Shaikh said the circular was bad in law and questioned the amount of progress the administration has made in initiating the waste-to-energy projects at Deonar and Mulund dumping grounds. Shaikh said the SWM department was deliberately trying to create an environment of panic among people by imposing such a deadline. “Neither has there been any public participation nor have the local representatives been consulted before imposing such a deadline. We thoroughly oppose the plan and demand that the administration should give a detailed plan on segregation of waste to the corporation,” he said. Shaikh alleged that the SWM department had manipulated the garbage figures by claiming that it has managed to reduce the city’s daily output of solid waste by 1,000 metric tonnes. “What is the basis behind such a claim of reducing the city’s waste when no discussion has happened on any forum and neither has any feedback been taken from the corporators who work on the ground?” he asked. Manoj Kotak, the BJP groupleader, said: “If the BMC stops collecting garbage from residents’ homes, how are they supposed to dispose off their waste?” Although the corporators from the BJP and the Congress staged a walkout alleging that mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar was not allowing all corporators to speak, the discussion continued. Shiv Sena corporator and leader of the house, Yashwant Jadhav, said: “The matter should have been discussed with us in the standing committee and the administration has insulted us and the mayor by not consulting us.” Taking cognisance of the points raised by Jadhav, Mahadeshwar adjourned the general body meeting and did not allow the civic administration to respond in the matter. After hearing the arguments of the group leaders during their meeting held on Monday, Mehta has made certain relaxations to the deadline. He has not, however, agree to do away with the circular. “Wherever there is genuine difficulty, residents will have to individually apply to the BMC for a maximum extension of three months and implement ways to process waste within that time. Extensions will only be given to cases where the reasoning is found to be plausible and verifiable,” he said adding that a revised circular will be issued on Tuesday. For all the latest Cities News, download Indian Express App

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