To rid its streets and colonies of mounting garbage and generate additional revenue in the process, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has begun rolling out its Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSW) plan.
The 70,000-odd households of Secunderabad cantonment generate around 180 metric tonnes of municipal waste a day. The SCB collects and dumps the waste at Turkapally. With garbage generation increasing and residents living in the vicinity of the dumping yard objecting to dumping, the board has decided to adopt MSW guidelines prescribed for municipalities in 2000.
The guidelines require municipal administrations to segregate waste, process and dispose of it in an environment-friendly manner.
SCB Chief Executive Officer Sujatha Gupta discussed the implementation of the plan with representatives of a dozen colonies last week. During the meeting, the residents agreed to segregate waste in three colour-coded bins located in the colonies. SCB sanitation staff would clear the bins on designated days. The plan requires colonies to procure the bins.
“At the household level, waste management is the responsibility of residents. We felt that segregating waste into five bins as initially requested by the SCB may seem tedious for domestic helps and residents. Since we have attempted such segregation in the past and some colonies continue to do so, we suggested having three bins in our colonies,” said E. Venkat Ramanaiah of the Confederation of Cantonment Resident Welfare Associations, who attended the meeting.
After the collection, waste would be processed at the dumping yard following further segregation. A composting facility at the yard will decompose biodegradable waste while officials plan to auction other wastes after processing.
“We are implementing the project in-house. All the groundwork for the plan has been done. We also plan to include it in our by-laws,” Ms. Gupta said.
The SCB has called for tenders to select a contractor for garbage lifting and waste transportation to the Turkapally facility. A fleet of 10 to 12 vehicles designed for garbage transportation will soon be procured. Officials also have begun issuing guidelines to restaurants and eateries in the area and getting such establishments to register with the health and sanitation wing of the SCB.
The board currently collects Rs. 50 towards service charge per household every month for garbage clearance which will remain when the new plan is implemented, officials said.
The board also plans to earn revenue from sale of non-biodegradable waste, but officials have not estimated how much they can earn from waste.
The new MSW management plan is not SCB’s first attempt to act in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. In the past, an attempt was made to manage waste, but it did not achieve much success due to the Board’s inability to implement a plastic ban, among others, residents recount. That has, however, not stopped the SCB from contemplating such a ban now.
“We are planning to make available environment-friendly plastic in Cantonment, beginning with commercial establishments. Education and awareness campaigns will also be taken up to promote use of such plastic,” Ms. Gupta said.
