The City of Garbage

Kartikey Sehgal

(Written in 2005, a few days after the floods of 26TH July. The garbage collectors are often blamed for inefficiency.)

“We collect garbage, we are not garbage ourselves.”

These are the words of the Solid Waste Management Department (SWM) of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The SWM, with 24 centres spread across 24 wards across the city is responsible for Mumbai’s garbage disposal and maintenance.

Tuesday, July 26. The rains had paralysed the Mumbaikars but the 22000 strong labour force of …