‘Not up to expected standard’, says BMC commissioner Ashwini Bhide after 6am surprise check finds gaps in Mumbai’s road cleaning

Mumbai: In her first unannounced on-ground review since taking charge as BMC commissioner, Ashwini Bhide hit the streets at 6am on Wednesday for an inspection of early-morning road sweeping, and found the work "not up to the expected standard".Accompanied by civic officials, Bhide reviewed multiple road stretches and solid waste management chowkis, where she found that the manpower — including municipal staff, contractors and NGO workers — as well as supervisory staff were adequate. "What is lacking is sincere work and honest supervision on the ground," she told civic officials, pointing to visible garbage and construction and demolition (C&D) waste along roadsides.She also reviewed ongoing road-cleaning work at several locations including Dharamshala Chowki, Government Polytechnic at Kherwadi in Bandra West, Western Express Highway, Church Road–Marol section, parking facilities on Guru Gobind Singh Marg in Andheri East, JB Road Metro Station chowki, and Savitribai Phule Garden in Marol, Andheri East. At Dharamshala Chowki in Bandra West, she checked the attendance of sanitation workers and reviewed operational details such as availability of modern cleaning vehicles, daily workflow, and workforce deployment.In a strongly worded message to zonal deputy municipal commissioners and assistant municipal commissioners after her surprise check, Bhide said the issue was not of resources but accountability. "While we boast of being the largest and richest urban local body in the country, this is not acceptable. It is our primary duty to keep the city clean," she said, adding that maintaining basic cleanliness "is not rocket science" and can be achieved with existing resources if officials take ownership.She has now directed senior officers to conduct daily early-morning rounds of solid waste management chowkis and personally supervise sweeping operations. Arterial roads and highways, dividers, junctions, and the removal of debris and C&D waste from roadsides and open spaces have been identified as priority areas.Cautioning that visible garbage directly impacts public perception, Bhide said such lapses are seen as a failure of ward-level administration. "Officers must be seen in active supervision mode," she said, stressing the need for consistent on-ground monitoring.Officials have also been directed to ensure periodic washing of roads and appoint dedicated officers to monitor key road stretches, including highways.