Mumbai’s Water Bodies

December 18, 2018

Every citizen of Greater Mumbai has invariably noticed that most water bodies in and around the city are dangerously polluted. Due to the large population and a matter of convenience the water bodies are being used as dumping   grounds to dispose articles of plastic and rubber, pieces of thermocol and wood, furniture foam and cloth rags to name a few. Slum dwellers use these water bodies to wash clothes and bathe, and morning ablutions, adding to the pollution.

The MCGM has initiated a scheme called Swacha Mumbai Prabodhan Abhiyan that ensures cleanliness of Greater Mumbai. But, citizen participation is essential for this scheme to work and turn into a movement where the people of the city can work with the civic body and make a difference, by keeping the city clean.

The primary goals of Swacha Mumbai Prabodhan Abhiyan are garbage collection, cleaning of small drains and public toilets and cleanliness of city slums.

In the case of slums that are close to water bodies, the residence of these slums must be educated of the harmful effects of polluting water bodies.  Articles that are not biodegradable, like plastic, should not be thrown into water bodies as it harms marine life and contaminates the water. Instead they must be collected in a local bin to be collected by the officials.

Excess plastic is a global issue and all the citizens of Greater Mumbai should make an honest attempt to reduce if not stop the use of plastic bags. As plastic bags also clog the drains which makes life difficult during the monsoons.

Nullas must be covered by grills which can act as a filter. For instance, the Nullas in Kalanagar at Bandra, have been covered by a grill that keeps the solid waste out. These filters should be cleaned every two weeks to avoid an uncontrollable accumulation of solid waste.

A lot can be done by means of unity and as citizens of this city take advantage of the Swacha Mumbai Prabodhan Abhiyan scheme and work with the MCGM and help keep the precious water bodies of Greater Mumbai clean.

This article has been written by Seema Redkar, Former ALM Officer MCGM

Tags: Greening the Grey

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