The BBMP has embarked on yet another plan to de-segregate and dispose of the city’s waste in a scientific manner. As in the past, it’s intentions may not result in actual achievement.
In two weeks, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will roll out a new plan to tackle the humongous problem of non-segregation of waste at source.
Bengaluru Mayor Padmavati G, who was elected just four days ago, told The News Minute that the BBMP had chalked out a course of action building on a plan that was put in place during the tenure of her predecessor.
Padmavati said that one autorickshaw was allotted to 750 houses and that one pourakarmika for every half kilometre. The working of these would be supervised by the Sushi Mitra, a resident and the local Residents’ Welfare Association or an NGO, under the eye of the area councillor.
She said that BBMP workers would ensure that waste was segregated as source in accordance with the Karnataka High Court’s directions. Violators would be penalised by the area engineer as specified by the High Court orders. Erring contractors too would be spotted through local vigilance and penalised appropriately.
Padmavati said these plans would begin to function in 10-15 days.
Under the micro-plan for sanitation, she said that the BBMP had purchased 18 mechanical sweepers which would be used on double roads and major roads.
But will the BBMP's all-new approach to deal with an old yet plaguing issue work?
Bengaluru generates 4,000 tonnes of waste every day.
In December last year, the Karnataka High Court made it mandatory for residents of Bengaluru to segregate waste at source.
Passing an interim order, the HC said that both citizens and bulk generators, including educational institutions, government and semi-government offices, places of religious worship and commercial establishments, should adopt the two bins-and-one-bag method for segregation of waste at source, The Times of India reported.
Nine months later however, the BBMP hasn't been able to implement the rule successfully in the city.
According to the mayor, only 40 percent of residents segregate waste at source currently. She however said that she hoped to increase it up to 90-95 per cent as early as possible.
Speaking at a panel discussion on how to tackle mismanagement of waste, NS Ramakanth, a waste expert who volunteers with BBMP, told The Hindu that the "Main problem with us (regarding segregation) is collection efficiency is poor".
Other experts suggested scrapping of the contract system by the BBMP and giving permanent posts to civic workers or providing them with better facilities, better collection and transportation, spreading awareness among citizens and cracking down on bulk garbage generators. They also agreed that fining non-compliers was necessary but was not being carried out properly.
The BBMP, as part of its new plan, is also planning to install 9,000 litter bins in prominent locations across the city.
"Before the door to door collection was introduced in Bangalore, we had dustbins in all corners. People were throwing the garbage all around the dustbin, except inside. And the dustbin in front of the house was a real nuisance. No resident would want a dustbin in front of their house. So, the then govt decided to make Bangalore bin-less and introduced door to door system. As you have suggested, we can have bins in commercial areas for the floating population. In residential areas, we must not encourage bins as the segregation of waste at source will completely fail. Whoever do not want to segregate at source will throw it in the bins to get rid of the waste," NS Ramakanth told The Hindu.