The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) may hold the key to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) problem of plenty.
The civic body has seized 11,753.5 kg of banned plastic items during its raids on shops, street vendors, traders, and even citizens, but lacks the space to store them. In what could be a fortuitous turn of events, however, the mountain of illegal plastic may be what Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) needs.
With the construction of the second terminal under way at the Kempegowda International Airport, BIAL is looking at using alternative materials that meet its sustainability mission. It has proposed to use plastic to lay the roads in and leading to the second terminal.
BBMP officials, on the condition of anonymity, told The Hindu that they had received a proposal on this matter from BIAL. “We were told that they require 50 tonnes of plastic. We plan to send the low-grade plastic that is in the various processing plants, dry waste collection centres (DWCCs), and the banned plastic items that have been seized,” the officials said.
According to BBMP officials, BIAL is also mulling over the feasibility of opening kiosks across the city where citizens could drop off plastic items. “BIAL is yet to finalise the locations of these kiosks. Once finalised, we will look into the feasibility and provide the statutory approvals needed,” they said.
However, a BIAL spokesperson said the proposal was still in the nascent stage. “Research and development is under way. We are keen on using plastic. The back-end work is likely to be completed in six to eight weeks,” said the spokesperson.
For now, the seized plastic items are being stored either in the ward offices or range offices of the Medical Officers of Health. In some wards, they have been sent to the DWCCs.
According to a senior health official, a proposal had also been sent to the BBMP’s Solid Waste Management Cell with regard to sending the waste to the processing centres on the city’s outskirts. “We have sought a report from the health officers, who are engaged in the drive against use of banned plastic, about the quantum of seized material in their respective jurisdiction. We will forward it to the SWM cell,” they said.
BBMP’s Special Commissioner (SWM) D. Randeep confirmed the development and said depending on the quantum, vehicles would be arranged to transport the plastic to the processing centres. The plastic will be baled and stored in the RDF (refuse derived fuel) sheds.
