The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has been asked to introduce a QR code-based system to verify door-to-door garbage collection across Mumbai, after concerns that missed pickups are contributing to waste being dumped on roads and into drains.
The proposal was made by standing committee chairperson Prabhakar Shinde in a letter to the civic administration’s solid waste management department, according to Loksatta – Mumbai. The proposal is intended to help establish whether waste is being collected from homes every day.
Under the suggested system, QR codes would be assigned to the first, middle and last houses in each lane. These reference points would be used to check whether collection vehicles or workers are reaching residential areas as planned. The report does not state that the system has been approved, funded or introduced by the BMC.
Shinde has also suggested a monthly verification campaign using photographs or videos submitted through Google by residents. These submissions, according to the letter, could help the civic administration assess whether door-to-door collection is taking place and identify areas where the service is not functioning effectively.
The proposal links gaps in collection to a wider public sanitation problem. Where household waste is not collected, residents may dispose of it in unplanned locations, including roadsides and drains. This can worsen the appearance of neighbourhoods and place additional pressure on the city’s drainage and waste-management systems.
The suggested verification process would also create a basis for penalties against those responsible for inadequate collection, the report said. However, the available information does not specify which contractors, workers or agencies would be subject to action, how resident-submitted material would be authenticated, or what penalty framework would apply.
The letter has been sent to the solid waste management department for consideration. The next steps will depend on whether the BMC accepts the proposal, develops the QR-code mechanism and sets rules for resident verification and enforcement.
