A survey to map kabadiwallas (scrap dealers) across the city will soon improve the coordination between such dealers and residents, and eventually reduce waste going to landfill.
As part of this joint project organised by Global Shaper, a youth wing of the World Economic Forum, and Care, an eco club run by students of Sri Venkateswara Engineering College, an orientation programme about the survey, which will be undertaken in about two weeks from now, was conducted for about 50 students on Sunday.
Siddharth Hande of Global Shaper said the network of kabadiwallas in the city was almost invisible and one of the primary reasons why a lot of waste ended up in landfills.
“At first, we will conduct a survey on kabadiwallas, with 400 students, and then, at a later point in time, we will connect with residential associations in the city. The objective is to raise awareness about kabadiwalla service, create a platform to locate their presence for residents and ensure less waste goes into landfills,” he said.
A smartphone application had been developed, and each student would be given a device using which they would conduct the survey, Mr. Hande said.
According to official data, 4,500 metric tonnes of solid waste was being generated in the city, and about 68 per cent was from residential areas. Though waste can be recycled or up-cycled, a large portion goes into landfills or open dumping yards, he said.
Kota Ashwin Kumar, a final-year student of the college, said, “This project, in a way, provides an opportunity for students to contribute to the environment. After we collect the data, we will discuss it with environmental activists and present a paper to policymakers.”
