Respite from rubbish

The area outside the Public Works Department (PWD) office on Wallace Street in Bombay’s Fort area remains strewn with garbage, attracting urchins and rag-pickers who sift through the rubbish. Not only is the place unhygienic, with the haphazard segregation of the garbage creating a stink, but the spread out filth results in inadequate parking space for vehicles in this predominantly office area. However, this is not a recent problem, mentions the Afternoon Despatch and Courier (ADC) of October 10, 2011. Shiamak J. Marshall of J. N. Marshall and Company, who has his office opposite the garbage center made his first complaint to the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) on December 10, 1964 — 47 years ago!

Shiamak Marshall: battling with BMC

Marshall, who has maintained a file containing all past communications with the BMC, mentioned to the evening tabloid, "We have had to keep our windows closed at all times, despite the presence of trees and an otherwise clean and peaceful atmosphere along the street.” In 2004 he sent yet another reminder to the BMC stating that it was the 40th anniversary of his first letter of complaint but no satisfactory measures have been taken to address the problem. Garbage from the area is left in the trailer parked outside the PWD office despite two enclosures having been provided for holding it. One cement enclosure is used as a residence by urchins and the other one for sleeping and eating, ADC reports. A defunct cement mixer, old tyres and other junk occupy space that could be used to park a dozen cars. "Why doesn’t the BMC ever take an initiative to put things in order and provide space for parking cars, which will even help it to earn revenue?” Marshall bemoans.

Two days later ADC reported that Marshall’s airing the problem in the Press had had a salutary effect as the BMC had partially cleaned up the area. The concrete enclosure used by the urchins as a residence was cleared of its occupants and the defunct cement mixing machine removed. Contractors seen working near the garbage collection center admitted they had been given instructions to remove all the debris lying near the PWD office at the earliest.