Start now, or be stuck with waste
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The BBMP’s garbage segregation plan is finally coming into effect, but there is still a lot of scepticism that surrounds the effort. Citizens are willing to go the extra mile, segregate their garbage and even wash out their milk cartons, but to what end, they ask. Will the garbage end up in a landfill anyway, which has been the case so far? As it turns out, the BBMP has a comprehensive plan in place, chalked out with the help of activists, NGOs and a panel of experts. The only condition - segregation at source. The whole exercise will be decentralized involving mobile governance with checks and balances at every step of the way.
“The KMC Act empowers the commissioner to direct citizens in what manner garbage must be handled”, said BBMP commissioner Rajneesh Goel. “If citizens follow the basic rules, the onus is on the corporation to pick up the garbage and scientifically dispose it of”.
“Farmers who want to buy wet waste to turn into compost will have it delivered to them along with a token amount of `256 per ton as an incentive”, explained Mr Goel. The segregated garbage goes to Mandur, Terra Firma and Kolar landfills. Dry waste will be collected every week and sold to various NGOs that the BBMP has tied up with.
The mechanism will be quite simple. “The pourakarmikas, who will carry a register, will pick up waste from each house. If a particular household does not segregate, it will be marked”, said Mr Goel. The pourakarmikas report to sanitary inspectors, who will have all the data at their fingertips through a mobile application that will be ready by the end of the week, similar to what the traffic police use. Those who violate the rules more than three times will have to pay a fine, which will be collected by the pourakarmikas themselves. This process will make every BBMP employee accountable to his immediate superior at every step. The palike has tied up with Britannia and waste like juice cartons and tetra packs will be sent back for reuse.
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