Garbage-free Bengaluru in six months, says CM

[1]

Bengaluru: ‘One house, two bins… don’t mix waste’ is the slogan that was made loud and clear by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday at Freedom Park during the launch of Kasa Muktha (garbage free) Bengaluru.
Speaking after the launch of the zero garbage initiative in 22 wards, the Chief Minister said that public co-operation is very essential for the success of zero garbage initiative and everyone must segregate waste at source.
He said that the BBMP commissioner has given a commitment that the garbage problem will be solved in the next six months if the public, public representatives, and government officials co-ordinate and co-operate.
“There is no dearth of money to mitigate the garbage crisis in Bengaluru. I have earmarked `100 crore in the state budget for solid waste management. The city has a population of one crore and a floating population of 10 lakhs.
The density of the population is increasing and so is garbage generation and the problems associated with it. The issue of garbage has reached the High Court, which has directed the BBMP and government to clear the crisis,” he said.
He said that Bengaluru is losing its sobriquet of ‘garden city’ and getting a new one, ‘garbage city’. He was sure that the garbage problem could be solved in the next six months across all 198 wards.
“The zero garbage and other initiatives have to be continuous and sustainable. The BBMP commissioner is also positive about it,” Siddaramaiah said. He praised multinational companies, non-government organisations and civil society members for joining the BBMP to solve the garbage crisis.
Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy said that improper garbage disposal at landfills is a gigantic problem for villagers living around the landfills such as Mandur and Mavallipura. The BBMP must look at composting, biogas, biomethane, and power generation from the waste.
Speaking after the inauguration, BBMP commissioner M. Lakshminarayana said that a performance audit will be conducted in all the 22 wards to ensure success of the programme.About 150 organisations have joined hands with the BBMP to make the city free from garbage, he added.
Minister of state for food and civil supplies, Dinesh Gundu Rao, administered the pledge to citizens and corporators to segregate their garbage at source. A skit and flash mob were organised to create awareness among schoolchildren and the public who attended the programme.