If the notice is not complied with, BMC will refuse to lift garbage from these areas Civic body makes it mandatory for residential societies and commercial establishments in H/West ward to separate wet, dry waste In a move aimed at easing the city's solid waste management problems, the BMC has issued a notice making it mandatory for residential societies and commercial establishments in the H/West ward, comprising Bandra (West), Khar and parts of Santacruz up to Milan subway, to segregate wet and dry waste, and make arrangements within society to process the wet waste as far as possible. According to BMC sources, if the notice is not complied with, the civic body will refuse to lift garbage from housing societies and commerical establishments. The aim is to make H/West ward a model of waste management in the city. The Assistant Municipal Commissioner (AMC) had recently signed a notice on 100 per cent waste segregation and processing of wet waste at the source. According to the notice, housing societies and commercial establishments have to immediately start 100 pe rcent waste segregation into wet and dry waste, and make separate arrangements to process the wet waste within the premises as far as possible. The notice will be distributed by the civic body this week. A number of residential societies and establishments in the city voluntarily segregate the waste and process wet waste. However, H/West ward will now be the first ward where it is being made mandatory by the BMC to do so. Processing the waste at an initial stage helps in reducing waste that gets transported to the city's dumping grounds. The notice signed by Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sharad Ughade states, "As per Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, all residential societies, hotels and restaurants shall ensure segregation of waste at the source as prescribed in these rules, facilitate collection of segregated waste in separate streams, handover recyclable material to either the authorised waste pickers or the authorised recyclers". The notice also states, "The bio-degradable waste shall be processed, treated and disposed off through composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible. The residual waste shall be given to the waste collectors or agency as directed by the MCGM." Speaking to DNA, Ughade said "H-West ward has actively participated in the Swach Bharat Programme, and some societies and commercial establishments have already adopted waste processing. They have shown keen interest in 100 per cent segregation and processing their waste at their level. The H-West ward can be a role model in waste management". "We will be distributing the notice to all the societies, hotels and restaurants thiss week and will give 15 days time to make necessary arrangements. If after an initial leeway period of around 10 days, we find that the order is not being complied with, the garbage will not be lifed from these societies and establishments," the officer added. Shyama Kulkarni, a trustee of NGO Agni, said, "The step taken for waste management is very good. But couple of years back too, the H-West ward officer had issued a similar notice for waste segregation. However, the socities did not follow it for more than two months. The BMC has to see that the activity is strictly implemented. According to rules, if the societies do not follow these instructions even after they are served three notices, they should be fined. The BMC should also increase wet garbage collection trucks".