If all goes as planned, by the end of the year, as many as 10 Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) in Bengaluru will be semi-mechanised with improved facilities. This is part of an initiative by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to upgrade all 120 centres at a cost of ₹65 crore
The centres are being upgraded along the lines of the unit at Marappanapalya ward, which received a facelift after Hasiru Dala, a non-government organisation working on waste management, collaborated with a Netherlands-based firm.
The civic body chose 10 DWCCs in Atturu, Yelahanka Satellite, Jakkur, Kuvempu Nagar, Nagawara, H.B.R. Layout, Rajamahal Guttahalli, Koramangala and Kengeri (159) wards for the first part of the upgradation at a cost of ₹4.75 crore.
“Work on the DWCCs at H.B.R. Layout and Koramangala wards have been completed,” said officials in the BBMP’s Solid Waste Management (SWM) cell. Two centres are likely to be ready by the end of September.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project by a couple of months, an official said but added that it is now back on track.
The BBMP decided to upgrade the DWCCs last year after an audit of all the centres in the city. The audit was taken up to understand the gaps that exist with respect to operations – from infrastructure, capacity to the financial model. The audit had revealed that 23 DWCCs were unfit for operation, 68 needed minor renovation while 52 could be expanded.
Around 120 DWCCs were servicing 126 wards.
“With the new garbage tenders stressing on separate collection and transportation of different streams of waste, there is a need for all wards to have a DWCC,” said Sarfaraz Khan, BBMP’s Joint Commissioner (SWM).
Officials had been directed to identify locations for setting up new DWCCs in the 78 wards. “The locations are likely to be finalised by the year-end,” Mr. Khan added.
