Mumbai civic body's AI camera at Mahim dump spot draws doubts after warning sounds without garbage

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has installed an AI camera near Gajanan Vatika in Mahim to curb littering. Garbage often piles up at the spot. Some local residents have welcomed the move, but a test at the site raised questions about how accurately the system identifies people dumping waste.

During a visit to the site, the audio warning sounded repeatedly whenever the reporter walked in and out of the camera's field of view. This happened even though the reporter was not carrying any bag of garbage. This raises the possibility of false alerts, especially at night.

According to the BMC, the AI camera detects people approaching the garbage spot and immediately issues an audio warning not to dump waste. The step is part of the BMC's efforts to deal with garbage that repeatedly accumulates in public places. The BMC has indicated that it plans to install similar cameras at other locations in Mumbai.

The spot check brought out several things. The BMC had cleared the site before installing the camera. Some of those who stopped dumping garbage in the monitored area were seen throwing it in other parts of the triangular garden. By the reporter's estimate, in about 40 minutes, five or six more bags piled up at a spot that initially had one bag. Residents and waste collectors said they have to wait for the garbage truck.

The BMC was asked what the camera's AI actually detects, and was also asked to respond to residents' concerns about the loudness of the sound, delays in garbage collection and waste shifting to other places. No response from the BMC had been received at the time of writing.

Naresh Jain, who runs a business opposite the site, said that initially the camera made people stop and dumping ceased. But, he said, the loudness of the sound became a concern. "The officials installed the cameras yesterday and we were quite curious about it. People had really stopped because of the camera's announcements. But on Wednesday the sound of the announcement was very loud and startling. When local residents told the officials, they came and reduced the volume," he said. The reduced volume seems fine during the day amid traffic noise, but residents fear the announcements may disturb them at night.

Meenal Patil, who lives in the building opposite the site, stood with her household garbage from 4 pm to 4.35 pm on Thursday because the civic worker posted there asked her to wait for the garbage truck. "Fish is cooked in our house every day, and if we keep the waste from cooking at home, it smells very bad. So if the officials want us not to dump it at the places where we have been dumping so far, they will have to increase the collection rounds, and it would help if we are told when the trucks will come," she said.

A woman who collects garbage in a nearby building said she waited two hours for the truck, but it did not come. "I kept waiting here for the truck for 2 hours, but it did not come. The official here said the truck might be stuck in traffic. If that is so, more trucks are needed. The initiative is very good, but at the same time people in the area have been told to forget a habit formed over 2 to 3 decades. This change is difficult," she said.

Local resident Sunil Laxman Parab welcomed the initiative but said its success depends on fixing the gaps in implementation. "If this works, implementing it in other areas will be very beneficial for the city. We have many places that need such care. If the officials fix problems such as garbage building up at new spots and too few collection rounds, then we will not have to look back," he said.