No-litter rule is not clean, say NGOs 

 NGOs’ forum alleges alterations by civic body are not effective 

 Express News Service 

 Pune, September 12:

  THE Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may have conducted a five-month consultative process with citizens while drafting its no-littering rules, but some of those Mumbaiites now feel that the final product is much less effective than proposed. 

  The NGO Council, formed with a group of NGOs after 26/7, was closely involved in drafting the rules on segregation of garbage and prohibition of littering. But it has now written to the BMC alleging that a series of alterations in the rules has diluted them substantially. 



  The BMC recently published advertisements calling for public opinions, objections and suggestions on the ‘Draft Greater Mumbai Cleanliness and Sanitation Bye-Laws 2006’, a necessary part of the legal notification process for bye-laws. All reference to the NGO Council is now missing from the bye-laws. 

  The rules were the result of collaboration of over 100 organisations and individuals along with the BMC,’’ says Vinay Somani, convenor of the NGO Council, in an email. ‘‘To remove some clauses negates the entire process initiated from the experience of 26/7, which showed that much of the suffering could have been reduced if the BMC’s Solid Waste Management had been proper.’’ 

  Additional Municipal Commissioner R A Rajeev, maintaining that all objections can be lodged with the BMC in a transparent process, says the bye-laws being a legal statute, no NGO or group of NGOs’ names could be included in them. ‘‘Earlier they were rules, published as being in operation from March,’’ Rajeev told Newsline. ‘‘But they are now being notified in the government gazzette under Section 461 of the Bombay Municipal Corporation Act, 1888.’’ 

  Sources said the BMC also received letters from citizens and NGOs asking how only one group of NGOs - the NGO Council - was permitted to participate in framing the bye-laws. But on its part, the NGO Council says its opposition is not prompted simply on account of its name being dropped from what will be a legal statute. 

 ‘All suggestions will be taken into account by the corporation,’’ said Rajeev. ‘‘If the NGO Council wishes, it may even personally make a presentation to the Mayor.’’ The bye-laws are now in the realm of the civic corporation and it is up to the elected body to pass them. 

 What’s changed

•  Obligatory responsibilities of the BMC reduced from 31 to 19. NGO Council members say deleted responsibilities had aimed to make the rules citizen friendly and participatory through stake-holder awareness, education, a helpline number, etc.
•  Composting is to be promoted; but not mandatory. The earlier draft had made it mandatory for bulk generators.
•  Deleted: Regular cleanliness drives, a special complaint redressal mechanism, proposed Citizen Cleanliness Teams for reporting and monitoring, sharing of information with public regarding fines collected, joint-review with the NGO Council for assessing implementation, specific annual targets for the BMC.
•  Penalties for non-compliance have been increased - from 10 times to 40 times, in some cases. The NGO Council says fines should be reasonable, to ensure compliance and cut corruption.
  

 Publication India Express; Section Mumbai Newsline; Date: 13/9/06

 URL : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=201088