(1) Municipal waste management. Following are the suggestions:
(i) Segregation of waste at the source. It should be the responsibility of societies/local bodies to take care of recyclables like (1) Glass (2) metals (3) plastics (4) paper. Precaution has to be taken to dispose of hazardous chemicals (ii) Wet biodegradables waste can be collected by the municipality and digested in a clean way using `Nisargarun' plant or its equivalent with high quality fertilizer and gas as BYPRODUCTS. The amount of fertilizer available is enough to enrich the soil, required to feed the population which generates the waste. (2) Water Management: Come monsoon and water clogging starts all over Mumbai. This was not the case 40 years back when we first came to Mumbai. The Mithi River is discredited for this. The matter of fact is A) There was backwater around suburbs like from Chembur to Sion was water on both sides of the road. Chembur to Mulund one could see salt farms? The seven islands which constituted Mumbai have disappeared. B) Several lakes reclaimed for some construction or other. The one opposite Suman Nagar, one in Sindhi society are few to mention. There is no point in crying over the split milk. Let us look forward and see what one can do for the future- While travelling from Haridwar to Delhi one con see canals all along the side of the road. To quote foreign example: when many of the countries in Europe were flooded few years back due to the overflow of the Denaub river (which flows through 9 countries before meeting the sea) the Vienna city was out of danger. Reasonthe river is split into two parts with a long about 15km of island in the middle. Can we not think of such solutionscertainly YES. Desiltation and change of mindset or habits of population to keep away from throwing garbage in the river!!! Training right from the school days is a need of the day. Avoid closing of lakes and wells wherever possible and have more if possible. That will also help realizing the slogan "swachha Mumbai, Sundar Mimbai" (3) Recycling sea water How logical does it appear? (i) We build good concrete gutters to take away pure distilled rain water from the city safely to the sea. Spend fortune for this. Then we spend a fortune for converting the sea water to sweet water. (ii) In the process of sea water filteration, salts of metals of lower atomic/molecular volume will still remain in water. (iii) We are leaving many effluents in the sea. This may be a solution in places where it does not rain. Or in places like deserts. But not in Mumbai. Rain water harvesting, construction of small lakes in the city, making wells where ever possible, much be a much better solution for addressing Mumbai Water Problems. Also, some amount of self dependency may be inculcated in city population by having wells to give water for daily use. Atleast partially. Mumbai has a very high water table and recharging may be used effectively to replenish the ground water, since it rains so well. (4) Last but not the least. Culture and Environment The celebration of religious festivals should be in the spirit of the culture and tradition with peace of mind. It hurts when we see the disfigured, broken idols of our most respected GODs whom we have worshiped just may be a day before. This is in particular the case about the Ganesh Festival which is nearing. Drinking liquor and playing cared with stakes are regular under the pretext of time pass. How justified are we? Are we not degrading our religion vis-a-vis ourselves? Our beloved nation? Ask this question to our conscious mind when we have few minutes with nothing else to disturb. I am sure everyone in the heart of heart will feel that what is going on is wrong. Who is to correct this devaluation? We all the responsible citizens of India, have to work on it.
