‘I don’t think we have processed even a kg of garbage till date’

A day after a fire in the garbage landfill in Mandur worsened the living conditions for residents in the vicinity, there appears to be a consensus that little was being done in way of managing the garbage crisis in Bangalore and on its outskirts.

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Siddaiah conceded in Bangalore on Saturday that the entire scene at landfills “is all bunkum, complete eyewash.”

Till date, he said, no garbage management was happening. “I don’t think we have processed even a kilogram of garbage properly till date. We have to start taking this seriously,” he said at a media interaction held to announce a weeklong event that focuses on garbage management in the city.

Agreeing with Biocon chief managing director Kiran Majumdar Shaw that these measures were 10 years too late, he said: “We have lost too much time. And today we are stuck with the dubious distinction of fast becoming a garbage city, instead of garden city.” Ms. Shaw lamented the fact that a city that was known as “clean and green” was today in “fast decline”.

Chairperson of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board Vaman Acharya spoke about the need to “free the city from garbage.” He said: “We need to create a truly scientific landfill site, which is not like the current dump yard system. It should be sophisticated, not different from a five-star hotel or an IT park.”

Mr. Acharya said the media must highlight positive developments. “The problem is that our problems make news, not our efforts.” Almitra Patel, member of the Supreme Court Committee on Solid Waste Management, concurred.

Responding to a query, she said: “The media needs to play an encouraging role. In the initial phase of the garbage segregation drive, all the media reports indicated that the initiative was failing. They should have instead encouraged citizens.”

Event

The seven-day event being held at Freedom Park here has been designed to focus on different stakeholders, including hospitals, corporations, traders and schools. Two special sessions will focus on pourakarmikas and on garbage contractors.

“These are the people who deal with the garbage directly and hence sensitising them is important.” The event also includes live demos of technology, community, recycling solutions and service providers.