Roadmap to solve city’s garbage crisis on the way

Stakeholders moot a Waste Management Regulating Authority to guide BBMP

November 17, 2012 08:54 am | Updated November 17, 2021 05:11 am IST - Bangalore

Garbage dumped right after the Deepavali festival on S.J.P. Road. File Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Garbage dumped right after the Deepavali festival on S.J.P. Road. File Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

The IT/BT majors in the city, non-governmental organisations and civic experts have been asked to prepare a road map for the city to tide over the garbage crisis. Earlier this week, a delegation led by Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw met Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and discussed means to end the crisis.

Speaking to presspersons after the meeting, Ms. Shaw said Mr. Shettar was on board for sustainable waste management. “He has asked us to prepare a road map that can become fully operational in six months. It is clear that waste is a challenge that has been accumulating for the past two decades. We cannot expect to solve it in two weeks.”

The delegation suggested the constitution of a Waste Management Regulating Authority to guide the implementing authority — the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) — on waste management.

Asked if she agreed that the BBMP had woken up rather late to the garbage crisis, she said no. “As soon as the problem arose, it constituted an expert committee and made segregation of waste at source mandatory. BBMP is committed to improving the situation in the next six months.”

Ms. Shaw also maintained that the BBMP had taken the right step by directing bulk generators to install waste processors on their premises. There was some resistance to this from some quarters, particularly from hotels.

“We will also plan an event to train people and demonstrate how segregation and processing can be taken up easily by bulk generators.”

Commissioner Rajneesh Goel said the BBMP had already issued notices asking the 2,331 commercial bulk generators to show the garbage trail and steps taken to process it.

Bidder firms

Later, a German company gave a presentation on waste management.

Mr. Goel said BBMP had invited expression of interest from companies to process the accumulated garbage at seven locations.

“We received proposals from 17 companies, which were submitted to the government. When the deadline was extended, we received another 10 proposals. The German firm that gave a presentation to the Chief Minister is one of them. The government’s expert committee will evaluate the proposals in the next 10 days and award tenders.”

Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy expected the crisis to abate once the new garbage contracts come into place. The terms and conditions are more stringent and at least 60 per cent segregation will happen at the collection level itself. The government and BBMP had identified fresh sites to set up scientific landfills. The BBMP had asked the new garbage contractors to submit implementation plans. “Once they submit the plans to the zonal commissioners, the work orders will be issued.”

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