While contractors are expected to segregate garbage into wet and dry waste before dumping it into scientific landfills, hardly any of them bother to do so. And despite the Supreme Court’s directive on scientific management of solid waste, the BBMP continues to dump it on the city's outskirts any way it likes, causing air, water and environment pollution. "It is mandatory for the BBMP to identify land and install huge bins with labels of wet, dry and e-waste on them. Instead of just drafting the policy it must be implemented," say experts, adding that local authorities must install big garbage bins with segregation labels on them and introduce automated pick-up trucks.
"Primarily, the BBMP needs to break the contractor cartel which is dumping garbage in open places," they say. Under the Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000, it is mandatory for all municipal bodies to prohibit dumping and littering of solid waste anywhere in the city. Also, those who generate garbage are expected to segregate it at source and municipal bodies are authorised to collect the segregated waste directly from the households and transport it to designated spots for recycling. But all the good intention behind these moves has been wasted so far as the procedure spelled out has remained only on paper.
"The BBMP cannot wash its hands off the entire affair after transporting the waste from the city. The wet waste must be transported every day for conversion to compost or manure which can be sold to farmers and also used in parks maintained by the BBMP and other local bodies," says Ms Sandhya Narayanan, a member of the Solid Waste Management Round Table. Experts also suggest that huge bins be transported with closed compactors and be scientifically managed to prevent the stench of garbage and the spread of contagious diseases in the city.