AHMEDABAD, BENGALURU, BHUBANESWAR, CHANDIGARH, CHENNAI, HYDERABAD, KOCHI, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NEW DELHI AND PUNE 17 November 2015 1 COMMERCIALCOMMERCIAL FEATUREFEATURE NAVI MUMBAI THE 3RD CLEANEST CITY IN INDIA ‘Cleanliness is a way of life for us’ Congratulations on Navi Mumbai being de- What steps is the NMMC taking to be select- clared the third cleanest city in the country and Navi Mumbai which was built as a planned city to decongest Mumbai is finally coming of age after ed as one of the 10 smart cities in India which for being chosen as the 100 contenders for the 40 years with the new airport project and the expansion of the JNPT. With its broad roads, ample open will receive special funding and focus from the ‘Smart City’ tag. What are the factors which went national urban development ministry? in your favour? spaces and greenery, the quality of life here is exceptionally better. Of late, the city which is half the size The challenges before us are in the fields of pub- The clean city award came as a pleasant sur- of Mumbai but has only one-tenth of its population, has come into national prominence by being lic transport, parking lots, safety of citizens and cre- prise to us. We were not even aware of the survey ation of jobs. We are also trying to improve the use being conducted by the National Urban Develop- declared as the 3rd cleanest city in India. Navi Mumbai’s Municipal Commissioner of information technology to connect with the citizens. ment Ministry. The criteria were water supply, sew- DINESH WAGHMARE spoke to THE RESOURCE 24X7 about what makes the city so special. erage system, garbage disposal, cleanliness at Are you looking at the Bus Rapid Transit public buildings, maintenance of water bodies and System (BRTS) where one lane on the road is environment. Cleanliness is a way of life for us. exclusively for public transport buses? ABOUT NAVI MUMBAI No, the internal roads here are not broad enough What is your vision for Navi Mumbai? l Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation was established on January 1, 1992. for it. Also, there is no ring road for the city as yet. I envision Navi Mumbai as a city where civic ser- vices are provided using the latest information technol- l It is the first municipal corporation in the country which went directly from gram panchayat to Given the fact that the public bus service is ogy; in the near future it should be possible for a citizen municipal corportion. inadequate are you looking at any other means to get his work done without having to step into a l Area : 108.63 sq. kms. Population – around 13 lakhs of transport? civic office. We also want to carry out all projects in an l NMMC has its own Morbe Dam having 450 MLD Capacity & supplying water 24 x 7 We may look at light rail transport to facilitate environmentally sustainable manner. Navi Mumbai will dispersal from railway stations to nearby nodes. be a clean and green city that will serve as a model l NMMC has developed best landfill sites in the country to handle solid waste in a not only for India but also for the world. We see the scientific manner. What about cycle tracks which were envis- city as a major hub for education, finance and transport. l NMMC has developed an eco-friendly basis ‘C’ Tech 6 sewerage treatment plants totaling a aged but never really built? It will also be a place where art and culture will flourish. capacity of 420 MLD to treat sewage to the extent that water obtained from it can be reused. Yes, were are looking at seamless cycle tracks l It has Asia’s biggest industrial area, Asia’s biggest agricultural produce market, modern IT parks along pavements. We are also trying to improve the Navi Mumbai has one of the best water sup- and educational institutions imparting quality technical and medical education. footpaths. ply system, how did NMMC manage this? In 2002, NMMC purchased the Morbe dam in What about creating more jobs? Khalapur from the Maharashtra government. It will One of the things that went in Navi Mumbai’s place. What is the NMMC doing to capitalize on it? We will try to attract more employers by ensuring keep Navi Mumbai self-sufficient in water for the next favour for selection as a ‘Smart City’ was the NMMC has as many as 102 public gardens. It that people will be able to reach from one end of 30 years. In fact, we supply 240 litres of water per way it managed its garbage. Can you tell us more has beautified the holding ponds along the coast, the city to the other in 40 minutes. head, which is more than the norm. As of now, 375 about it? as in Vashi and Koparkhairne. The rejuvenation of million litres of water a day (MLD) is supplied to the Navi Mumbai produces 625 metric tonnes (MT) 17 other ponds is underway. In all the ponds where Any new technology to be tried out? 1.3 million residents of Navi Mumbai. Apart from this, of garbage a day, all of which is collected and trans- Ganesha/Durga idols are immersed, gabion walls We are looking at a waste-to-energy project 50 MLD is for MIDC, 50 MLD for CIDCO areas and generated. We have six sewage treatment plants ported to the dumping ground at Turbhe. Of this 70 separate the section earmarked for immersion from where methane gas will be produced from waste. 15 MLD for the villages in the jurisdiction of NMMC. with a total capacity of treating 425 MLD of sewage. MT is from the Agricultural Produce Marketing Cor- the rest of the pond. This can be converted into CNG to be used for NMMC is the only municipal corporation in Ma- However, the need is only to treat 180 to 200 MLD. poration (APMC) and 25 MT from hotels. The or- public transport buses. We will also push for solar harashtra which has a Scada system for water sup- The treated water, which has a BOD of 5 is released ganic waste is composted and sold to the RCF while What would you say are the other standout energy to be made compulsory for all buildings ply. Using this, we can monitor the flow and pressure into the creek. Interestingly, the BOD of the creek the dry waste is converted into refuse-derived fuel features of the NMMC? measuring more than 4,000 sq ft. NMMC buildings of water and also run remote valve operations. We water is 70, perhaps because of industrial effluents. (RDF) for boilers. Only 25 per cent of the inert waste We provide the best amenities at property tax and railway stations will have solar panels. have won two awards in the government of India’s Now, we are working at using more of the treated is buried in the dumping ground. rates much lower compared to other cities. The Urban water awards. A striking feature of Navi Mum- sewage water for watering our gardens. Navi Mumbai’s Turbhe dumping ground will last property tax system here is GIS enabled. How do you see the Seawoods commercial bai is covered storm water drains. There are no open One does not find people defecating along the for another 20 years. Let me add here that NMMC The establishment expenditure of NMMC is only complex project? gutters. Not only this, Navi Mumbai has separate railway tracks or by the highways here. We have has been appreciated for being the first corporation 10 % which is negligible as compared to other cor- There is no doubt that it is one of the biggest drains for storm water and sewerage, which is unique. enough public toilets. Now, we are trying to eradi- in the state for implementing the policy of “Equal Work porations.Our primary and secondary schools have Transport Oriented Development Projects in Ma- cate this practice of open defecation from the vil- Equal Wages” for contract workers employed in much better standard and we are are the only mu- harashtra. However, the NMMC’s role in it is limited What about the treatment of sewage as far lages in the jurisdiction of NMMC as well. We have various departments such as sanitation, gardens etc. nicipal corporation in the country to start a school to giving permission for development. The project as Navi Mumbai is concerned? How is it han- identified 6,234 families of which 450 have been for children with different abilities. For senior citi- is almost ready and when it is fully functional, we dled? given individual toilets. For the rest, community Open spaces, gardens, ponds and hills add to zens, there are 15 virangula kendras (recreation will provide it with feeder services in the form of We treat 100 per cent of the sewage that gets toilets have been provided. the allure of Navi Mumbai as a clean and green centres). Light Rail Transport and buses. Every resident is a STAKEHOLDER IN THE SMART CITY PROJECT One of the reasons why Smart City projects across the world have not achieved the desirable results in the short run is lack of awareness about the project. Keeping this AIROLI in mind, The Resource 24X7 brings its readers the entire gamut of issues regarding the ambitious project. under the project. Submit your ideas And how does Navi Mum- to create a smart city for your future bai figure in the plan? Recently, out of a total of 32 entries from across the state, Navi Mumbai has been short-listed as a Smart City along with nine other cities in Maharashtra.