Mumbai’s civic body has initiated a pilot cleanliness drive at the Vakola River, aiming to curb illegal dumping and promote responsible waste management. The campaign, which involves local residents, environmental experts and non-governmental organisations, is designed as the first step towards restoring the city’s rivers and nullahs, many of which remain choked with garbage and industrial refuse.
The initiative was announced during a ward-level workshop on community participation in waste management, where officials highlighted that keeping rivers clean requires more than just municipal machinery. It demands sustained public engagement and behavioural change at the community level. The pilot effort at Vakola is intended as a demonstrative model, with plans to replicate it across other polluted rivers, including the Mithi and Poisar, in the coming months. Civic officials underscored that despite extensive manpower deployed for waste collection, open dumping remains rampant in densely populated areas. Nearly 300 tonnes of waste are collected daily from a single ward, much of which still finds its way into open spaces and water bodies. This waste not only clogs natural water channels but also intensifies waterlogging and flooding during heavy monsoons, aggravating Mumbai’s long-standing urban flooding challenge.
Experts present at the workshop pointed out that river degradation has ecological, economic and health consequences. Polluted waters compromise biodiversity, reduce fish catch for coastal communities and generate foul odours that reduce liveability in surrounding areas. More critically, untreated waste entering rivers eventually flows into the Arabian Sea, damaging marine ecosystems and destroying natural buffers like mangroves, which are vital for protecting Mumbai from storm surges and rising sea levels. The discussion also highlighted the urgent need for robust waste segregation systems. Officials suggested that introducing designated days for the collection of dry, wet and electronic waste could ease the pressure on disposal systems while encouraging citizens to adopt sustainable practices. Housing societies were urged to make use of waste collection containers provided by the civic body and ensure that residents dispose of waste responsibly.
The pilot at Vakola is expected to serve as a test case for gauging how community participation can complement civic systems. Experts argue that without public involvement, infrastructure upgrades alone will not deliver long-term improvements. The collaboration between the municipal corporation, research institutes and citizen groups marks a shift towards inclusive urban governance, where accountability is shared across institutions and communities. While the project is in its early stages, the emphasis on collective responsibility offers a potential blueprint for tackling Mumbai’s mounting waste crisis. If scaled effectively, such drives could transform river stretches from dumping grounds into rejuvenated ecosystems that support both environmental balance and urban resilience. For a city that faces rising climate threats, this movement towards cleaner rivers is not just about aesthetics but about safeguarding its future.
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