The city no longer has a stellar record when it comes to segregating waste at source. That said, seven neighbourhoods in Shanthi Nagar have achieved 90 per cent segregation, outperforming Yelahanka, which once was the ideal example of a zone that practised segregation at source. “The residents in these areas have been following a micro-management plan, in which they are closely associated with all aspects of managing waste. This is why they were able to achieve 90 per cent waste segregation,” said Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, Solid Waste Management, BBMP.
This, however, is not a benchmark for the city, which still, as a whole, sees only approximately 40 per cent segregation at source, cautions N.S. Ramakanth, waste expert and member of the Solid Waste Management Round Table. “According to our most recent study of the situation, waste segregation has not moved much beyond the approximate 40 per cent that we measured this past February,” he said.
Renuka Prasad, president, Shanthi Nagar Residents’ Association, says that apart from going door-to-door and creating awareness through other campaigns which many proactive neighbourhoods in the city practice, a more in depth approach to manage waste was currently being followed.
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“There used to be complaints that BBMP garbage contractors do not collect waste, and even mix the waste while loading it into their collection vehicles, so why should citizens bother? We decided to get volunteers to keep an eye on every single step, right from garbage collection to how it is being loaded into the vehicles.” said Ms. Prasad. “If we have trouble with the collection, the BBMP’s waste department is contacted directly.”
Volunteers are assigned a few houses on their block and it is their job to ensure that the processes are being followed.
Percentage
of Segregation in other areas
Yelahanka: 60 to 65 per cent of waste segregated
HSR Layout Sectors 1 to 7: Around 60%
Jayangar Ward: 20%
Mahadevapura (whole zone): 40 to 45%
Koramangala Ward:
40 to 45%
Rajarajeshwari Nagar Ward: 40%
Sanjay Nagar Ward: Around 60%
Malleswaram Ward: Above 60%