In a unique environment- friendly initiative, the Maharashtra State Police Housing Corporation has installed waste-crushers in the under-construction housing colony at Ghatkopar. The system, installed under the sinks, will shred leftover food
and send it down the drainage pipes, thereby preventing clogging and ensuring safe disposal of waste.
The system has been provided in all 64 flats of the two buildings. Each unit costs around `22, 500 and has been procured from a Gujarat-based engineering firm. According to DG (MSPHC) P.N. Dixit, the initiative is a pilot project to test the efficacy of the system. “When pipes get clogged due to kitchen waste, residents try and fix the problem themselves by cleaning them which makes it worse. Pipes burst and sewage starts leaking, which affects everything from disposal to cleanliness. After policemen start shifting to the quarters, we will take their feedback and decide on installing it in other under-construction projects at Worli and Santa Cruz.
The pipe from the sink bottom flows into the shredding machine, a small circular unit with strong high tensile metal blades. It is connected to an electrical switch that can be switched on when needed. The shredders decimate the waste, turning it into a sludge-like liquid which flows onwards into the drainage pipe that exits the building.
The flats, admeasuring 48 square metres (520 square feet), will be primarily meant for policemen
from constables to the assistant sub-inspector (ASI) rank.