Mumbai is set to receive a fleet of upgraded solid waste compactors designed to prevent leachate from spilling onto roads during transportation, addressing a key source of odour and hygiene concerns, civic officials announced on Tuesday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to invite tenders to appoint a new contractor for the transportation of solid waste to the city’s dumping grounds under a revised service-based contract model. This initiative will centralise the waste collection process, said Dr Ashwini Joshi, Additional Municipal Commissioner.

The new compactors will have a capacity of 7 tonnes, up from the current 6 tonnes, allowing the BMC to reduce the number of operational compactors from around 1,000 to 600. This enhancement will cut the number of daily trips by at least 25 per cent and improve logistical efficiency. Crucially, the new vehicles will feature built-in leachate holding tanks to eliminate roadside spills during transit.

Mumbai currently generates between 7,200 and 7,300 tonnes of waste each day, requiring over 1,334 vehicles for collection and transport. While the new system will be rolled out citywide, BMC-owned vehicles will continue to operate in wards L (Kurla), M (East) – Govandi, and M (West) – Chembur, as they are situated close to dumping sites and are excluded from the revised contract.

A centralised call centre will also be launched to manage complaints and ensure timely resolution of grievances related to waste management.

To further enhance cleanliness, the BMC plans to clean all city areas twice a day. Currently, only select zones such as Malabar Hill and Shivaji Park receive twice-daily cleaning. For the new afternoon cleaning shift (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.), around 3,500 civic workers currently deployed as motor loaders on compactors will be reassigned.

In a move towards eliminating community bins, Dr Bhide from the BMC stated that bins would be phased out as door-to-door waste collection has improved.

The BMC last appointed a waste transport contractor in 2017, with the contract valued at Rs 20 billion (approx. £190 million).

To manage waste in narrow lanes, the BMC will also deploy smaller vehicles, 15 per cent of which will be electric. The number of dry waste tempos will be doubled from the current 46, officials added.

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