City Profile

Navi Mumbai is a planned city located on the west coast of India, in the state of Maharashtra. It was developed in the 1970s as a satellite township to ease the population pressure on Mumbai. Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has been entrusted with the responsibility of delivering essential services and amenities to the residents of the urban local body (ULB) and is divided into 122 wards. The city has a population of around 30 Lakh. The city was the first to be certified as a Water Plus city in Maharashtra and has also received a five-star rating in the Garbage Free Cities ranking program. The city and Indore topped in the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge in the population category of above 10 lakhs.

Challenge

Seven sewage treatment plants in Navi Mumbai handle wastewater from approximately 99% of the households connected to the sewer system, and the city also has around 550 KM of stormwater drain network. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has taken several steps to improve the sanitation ecosystem. The NMMC has about 550 km of stormwater drain and 406 toilets connected to the sewerage network. While the city has a well-laid-out sewer network and equipment, there was still a need for specific machinery, trained professionals, and an effective monitoring and grievance redressal system.  

Initiative

To enhance the ecosystem of sanitation works, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) primarily concentrated on aligning its goals with the “Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar” initiative. The key areas of focus for the NMMC included strengthening the institutional setup, improving the availability of skilled manpower, enhancing mechanisation and the procurement of machinery and equipment, and implementing capacity-building programs and welfare measures for sanitation workers. 

As part of strengthening the institutional setup, the NMMC established a dedicated unit known as the Sanitation Response Unit (SRU) to address sanitation-related complaints raised by citizens. Additionally, a grievance redressal system with an inbuilt automatic escalation matrix was rolled out that would escalate the complaint registered by the citizen to the concerned officer if the complaint crossed the Service Level Agreements in the system. The alerts are linked to time in working days and have three levels of escalation mechanism put in place to track and address these complaints effectively. 

The NMMC implemented several initiatives to enhance the workforce involved in sanitation works with respect to adequate numbers and skilled labour. The city also ensured that no informal workers were associated with the high-risk jobs. Comprehensive contracts were drawn up for cleaning sewer lines and operating and maintaining Sewage Treatment Plants. Additionally, training was provided to the sanitation workers to understand safety measures, emergency response, and adopt mechanised cleaning. Only certified empanelled trainers were engaged for this training. NMMC also launched initiatives such as monthly awards, recognition and felicitation on important days such as Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, etc. Additionally, many awareness campaigns were run through a network of NGOs in the city. The city also has a Safaimitra Mascot, wall paintings and LED screens across the city as a part of its awareness campaign. 

The NMMC procured various machinery and technologies to enhance its sanitation initiatives. This included the acquisition of level transmitters for centralised monitoring of septic tanks across the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). In addition, the NMCC procured root cutter machines to effectively remove tree roots that had grown within the sewer lines. They also acquired sewer inspecting cameras and other relevant equipment for efficient inspection and maintenance of sewer systems, such as 11 combination hydro vac equipment, seven desilting machines, 14 desludging vehicles and 34 power rodding apparatus. The city was able to support entrepreneurs in the sanitation sector through the Swachhata Vahan initiative which focused on the provision of loans to facilitate the purchase of required machinery. 

Furthermore, the NMCC prioritized the safety of sanitation workers by procuring and distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and other safety equipment to sanitation workers, ensuring their well-being while performing their duties. Periodic Health Camps and eye checkups were conducted for sanitation workers and their families, while medical insurance coverage was provided to ensure their well-being. The provision of allowances and the establishment of a provisional fund became mandatory for sanitation workers. Moreover, the NMCC facilitated the process for workers’ children to obtain scholarships from the Social Welfare department.