Drive to mark BMC engineer’s retirement mops up

Mumbai: For his retirement on Thursday, Kazi Irfan, an assistant engineer with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) solid waste management (SWM) department, was keen to do something that would qualify as his last act of service and leave a lasting impression on his colleagues.
So, he organised a campaign among SWM staff, clean-up marshals and Swacch Mumbai Prabodhan Abhiyan (SMPA) workers to penalise litterbugs in the G North ward, where he had been posted since 2021; the ward covers parts of Dadar, Matunga, Dharavi and Mahim. In the two weeks spanning July 15 to July 31, a whopping ₹4,43,300 was collected in fines from 950 offenders, which were deposited with the BMC. On Wednesday, a day before Irfan’s retirement, three cash prizes of ₹1,111 each and certificates were handed out to the top performer among SWM workers, clean-up marshals and SMPA workers.
“We cracked down on all nuisance action as my final act of service,” Irfan, who joined the BMC in 1987, told HT. “Fines were collected for littering, dumping of debris, broken drains, disposal of sewage, storm water and building debris on roads. The top performer among SWM staff, clean-up marshals and SMPA workers were also honoured with prizes and certificates,” he said.
Chandrakant Tambe, junior supervisor in the SWM department, topped the list among fine collectors, mopping up ₹29,000.
“The biggest fine I collected was ₹20,000 from the operator of a concrete mixer who hadn’t sealed his machine properly, resulting in spillage of concrete on the road. The remaining fines were collected for littering,” said Tambe, who received the designated cash prize and certificate.
Bright Guard Force, one of the organisations that supplies clean-up marshals in G North ward, was awarded for collecting the maximum penalty in their category. Workers under the SMPA scheme, who are engaged on daily-wage basis to collect garbage and maintain cleanliness in slum settlements, were awarded on the basis of garbage collection.
“My mission has always been to serve people and I am happy with my run. People have been satisfied with my work and promptness in resolving complaints of cleanliness, and this last campaign was no different,” Irfan told HT.
Tambe, meanwhile, voiced his admiration for Irfan, saying, “Kazi sir has been a motivator for us all. He taught us that waste management is not restricted to garbage collection alone but includes inculcating responsibility among people with regards to garbage. The city’s cleanliness is our responsibility.”