BMC urges agencies to clear piled-up construction debris
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
For piling up of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, BMC has a provision to impose fines. It also charges the cost of removal of C&D waste on individuals and institutions.
"During my recent field visits, I saw that several agencies are piling up waste on roads and along roadsides. This practice poses a risk to commuters and affects the aesthetic beauty of the city. We will sensitise all the stakeholders carrying out various construction once again.
If agencies do not adhere to the norms after that, they will be penalised, and the cost of lifting the waste will be recovered from them," said BMC commissioner Chanchal Rana.
BMC officers said that according to the rules, waste generated through construction, repair, remodelling and demolition of private and govt establishments, households, roads and drains, should be handled properly to avoid litter. However, it has been observed that most govt establishments disregard the norms despite awareness drives being conducted before the launch of a special campaign from July 1, 2023.
"The special drive against C&D waste is ongoing, and multiple squads are engaged in enforcing it," Rana added.
A BMC squad is authorised to impose a penalty of Rs 5,000 on the owners of C&D waste. In addition, if the BMC removes the waste using its own tractor, it charges Rs 4,500 per trip.
BMC has also earmarked designated dumping places, which have been identified based on the requirement of a particular place, such as low-lying areas and mine voids.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
For the designated dumping station, BMC has allowed people to transport the C&D waste instead of the civic body seizing the litter and penalising people. However, people are hardly implementing this practice.
Debabrata Mohanty, managing director of Watco, said instructions have been issued to all general managers to oversee the removal of C&D waste from roads without further delay. "If waste is still piled up on the roads, BMC can identify those places and let us know, and we will remove them at our own cost," he told TOI.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Guest teachers face uncertainty amid new appointments in state
Patna: Recent appointment of assistant professors across various disciplines—based on recommendations from the Bihar State University Service Commission (BSUSC)—has left hundreds of long-serving guest teachers in universities and colleges across the state in an uncertain position. Services of many of these teachers, who have been teaching for the last six to eight years, have not been renewed citing lack of vacancies. It has sparked widespread frustration and resentment among the qualified teachers. In protest, several affected guest faculty members at Patna University (PU) recently launched a hunger strike, demanding the renewal of their services against existing vacancies. The strike was called off only after PU authorities agreed to extend the contracts of some faculty members in select subjects. However, many others remain unaccommodated due to the lack of vacancies in their respective disciplines, according to PU sources. A guest lecturer from the physics department of Patna Science College expressed concern over the situation. He noted that all guest faculty members meet the University Grants Commission (UGC) eligibility criteria for assistant professors and have been teaching against substantive posts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In Chuvashskaya Respublika - Watch What Happens Happy in Shape Undo Despite their dedication, their employment remains insecure, subject to abrupt termination at the discretion of university authorities. Currently, guest faculty members across Bihar's universities are paid an honorarium of Rs1,500 per class, capped at Rs 50,000 per month. This payment is made for only 11 months each year, with a mandatory one-month break before renewal—resulting in the loss of one month's pay. Additionally, they receive no compensation during summer vacations, further exacerbating their financial instability. A few months ago, the Bihar Legislative Council's education committee, led by MLC Ram Bachan Roy, recommended that guest faculty members—whose qualifications match those of regular teachers, who were appointed following the reservation roster, and who have served for five to six years—should be allowed to continue teaching until the age of 65, similar to regular faculty. Echoing this sentiment, Kanhaiya Bahadur Sinha, working president of the federation of university teachers' associations of Bihar (FUTAB), and general secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, MLC, have urged the chancellor and the state govt to regularise the services of these long-serving guest faculty members. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
From sacred tradition to shutdown: The history and end of Mumbai's Kabutarkhanas
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday initiated action against the Dadar Kabutarkhana, pulling large plastic sheets across the city's most iconic pigeon feeding spot, to comply with a Bombay High Court order following a ban on feeding pigeons at kabutarkhanas across the city. Feeding pigeons is a contentious topic in Mumbai and a practice that has been ongoing for centuries. Here's a look at the history of kabutarkhanas and pigeon feeding in the city and why it has become so controversial. Why are pigeons fed in Mumbai? In many Indian cultures, feeding pigeons is considered an act of piety and is believed to bring blessings from ancestors. Offering food to pigeons is said to satisfy the souls of deceased ancestors and relieve any ancestral affliction. This practice is considered especially effective on new moon days (Amavasya). There is also a belief in some cultures where pigeons are seen as messengers between earthly and the spiritual realms, feeding them helps open one's awareness to spiritual energies, fostering a greater connection with the divine. In Jainism, feeding pigeons is a form of jeev daya or compassion for living beings, one of the central tenets of Jain ethics. Many Jain families and temples organise regular pigeon feeding, often near temples or trust-run kabutarkhanas. The Dadar Kabutarkhana is one such feeding spot that was set up by a Jain temple. The large number of Gujarati and Jain merchants in erstwhile Bombay meant that kabutarkhanas could be found in major corners of the city. Their presence also contributed to the city's high pigeon population, a fact noted even in the early 20th century. 'They are attracted to Bombay by two things: plentiful house accommodation and the benevolence of pious Hindoo grain merchants,' wrote Edward Hamilton Aitken in his 1909 book The Common Birds of Bombay, elaborating on the reason for the city's large pigeon population. Early organised pigeon feeding took the form of parabadis , large, ornate birdhouses, often reaching seven meters higher, usually made of wood and elaborately carved and painted. These were roofed, house-like structures raised on platforms to keep them out of reach of cats and dogs. Grain was regularly placed on these platforms to feed the birds, usually pigeons. Larger versions of these were called kabutriyas or kabutarkhanas, ornate structures constructed with funds donated by the local community. Devout individuals would regularly leave grain and water in the kabutriya for the birds. Kabutarkhanas evolved as charitable spaces, where community members could donate grain and fulfill their religious duty, explaining the proximity of many of these structures to temples and other religious sites. Today, Mumbai has over 50 kabutarkhanas, primarily located in the city proper, with a few in the suburban areas. One of the oldest and most renowned is the Dadar Kabutarkhana, operated by the Dadar Kabutarkhana Trust. In 1944, the Bombay Municipality issued a letter to the Jain Temple in Dadar permitting the construction of a traffic island to allow bird feeding. This was in response to a letter from the Jain Temple requesting permission to set up an enclosure to protect pigeons that flocked near the temple and were at risk of being run over by cars. While pigeon feeding was widely accepted in erstwhile Bombay, concerns began to emerge in the mid-90s, with the proliferation of medical studies linking pigeon droppings to respiratory ailments. Subsequently, complaints regarding pigeon feeding gained traction in Mumbai, with citizens reporting respiratory issues related to the high concentration of pigeons. In 2013, a BMC engineer died after reportedly being thrown off his motorcycle when a pigeon struck him near the kabutarkhana at Grant Road on June 30. Following the incident, the local corporator removed grain-sellers from the street. Two days later, the then BMC Law Committee Chairman, Makrand Narvekar, proposed relocating kabutarkhanas to less crowded areas. However, the proposal never resulted in concrete action. Since 2014, several kabutarkhanas in the city have been removed, and individuals caught feeding pigeons have been fined by the BMC. The proliferation of the pigeon population What marked the end for Kabutarkhanas? On July 3, 2025, during a Maharashtra Legislative Council session, Minister Uday Samant (on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde) announced the immediate closure of 51 kabutarkhanas in Mumbai, citing respiratory health risks from pigeon droppings and feathers. Subsequent to this announcement the BMC commenced a citywide enforcement drive fining those found feeding pigeons and shutting down Kabutarkhanas in the city. On July 15, the Bombay High Court, while noting that the rights of humans and animals must be balanced, declined to pass an interim order permitting pigeon feeding twice a day. However, the Court directed that no heritage kabutarkhanas should be demolished until further orders. A division bench of Justices Girish S. Kulkarni and Arif S. Doctor was hearing a writ petition filed by animal rights activist Pallavi Sachin Patil, along with Sneha Deepak Visaria and Savita Mahajan, seeking to restrain the BMC from demolishing kabutarkhanas and to ensure that citizens were not prevented from feeding pigeons. On July 31, the Bombay High Court directed the BMC to lodge FIRs against individuals 'illegally' and in a 'defiant manner' feeding pigeons at Dadar (West) and other kabutarkhanas, despite the ban and the HC's refusal to grant interim relief in earlier hearings. On Saturday Mumbai's most iconic pigeon feeding spot was finally shut down and covered in thick sheets of grey tarpaulin.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Citizens march to protest ban on pigeon feeding in Mumbai
Mumbai: More than 1,000 citizens, including Jain spiritual leaders, undertook a protest march from Colaba Jain Mandir to Gateway of India on Sunday, to protest the ban on feeding pigeons in the city. Jain muni, Nareshchandra Ji Maharaj, also announced a fast unto death on Aug 10 in order to demand the resumption of feeding of pigeons. "Hundreds of pigeons have died of starvation in Mumbai in the past few days because the state authorities have forcibly stopped animal lovers from feeding the birds. Dadar Kabutarkhana and other feeding sites have been sealed by BMC. We oppose this cruel ban on pigeon feeding," he said. The venue for the hunger strike will soon be decided. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Jain community leaders have urged citizens to join them for this cause. Activist Sneha Visaria of Just Smile Charitable Trust, who participated in Sunday's protest march, said: "It is heartbreaking to see how over 50,000 pigeons have died on the streets and atop terraces because people have been stopped from feeding this feeding ban is wrong and unethical." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Struggling With Belly Fat? Try This at Home Home Fitness Hack Shop Now Undo Animal activist Mitesh Jain said: "BMC is going against our Constitution's Article 51(A)(g) which says we must show compassion for all creatures. A recent RTI finding from Nair and Sion hospital show negligible effect of pigeons on human pulmonary health." The Mahavir Mission Trust, Colaba Sakal Jain Sangh, and Rajasthani 36 Kaum-Colaba also participated in the protest march. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
