The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (Credai) on Friday has agreed to take up solid waste management pilot projects in the existing commercial and apartment complexes, besides ensuring that all future projects have the waste management component.
Credai president R. Nagaraj made this commitment during Power Nashta at ‘Wake Up, Clean Up Bengaluru’, the ongoing exposition on solid waste management, here. He said Credai would request its 200-odd members to coordinate with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and help monitor waste management in one ward each. “The city has given us a lot, it’s time for us builders to give something back.”
The meeting suggested the BBMP and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to not sanction building plans or issue Commencement Certificate or Occupation Certificates unless the plans have in-house waste management systems.
BDA Chairperson Subir Hari Singh said though the authority has put in these conditions, there is no follow up to ensure implementation. He also suggested tweaking the existing building bylaws to make them more stringent.
Sarvagna Nagar MLA K.J. George said he had already taken the initiative to set up a solid waste processing plant with a capacity of 300 tonnes a day on public-private partnership model. It would be able to handle the waste generated in the eight wards coming under his constituency. “We’re in the process of looking for land for it. The BBMP has also assured us of assistance.” He added that Embassy Tech Park, which is on 63 acres of land, manages the waste in situ .
BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah lamented that the Garden City had now earned the moniker of Garbage City. He said if all the large apartment and commercial complexes and tech parks managed their waste in situ , the quantum of garbage going to the landfills every day would come down by at least 500 tonnes. Dry waste collection centres will be set up in all 198 wards in the next three months. “Unless these are set up, the segregation at source plan will not become successful,” he said.