BEST staff fined for burning waste at Goregaon bus depot

MUMBAI: A supervisor at the BEST bus depot in Goregaon was fined Rs 1,000 after staff were caught burning dry leaves inside the depot premises. This act was flagged by an X handle on social media.
"The staff at @myBESTBus Depot in Goregaon West, at Goregaon Railway Station, regularly burn waste inside the depot, despite our #MNCDFflyingSquad members warning them not to engage in such air-polluting activities. We request @mybmc to initiate action and bring in a permanent solution to this waste burning problem at Goregaon Bus Depot," posted the handle @MNCDFbombay.
Responding to the complaint, the BMC confirmed the violation and said a strict warning was issued to prevent any repeat offence.
"A penalty of ₹1,000 was imposed on the BEST Depot Supervisor for the incident involving the burning of dry leaves by a sweeper. A strict warning was also issued that any recurrence will invite stringent action. Thank you for bringing this to our notice," the civic body said in a public response.
The incident is one of 10 such violations reported recently, following the BMC’s decision to hike the fine for open burning from ₹100 to ₹1,000. This move aims to crack down on air pollution and enforce cleaner public spaces.