Delay in govt nod for waste management puts MCC in a fix

Scattered garbage can affect health, fear residents, as waste woes continue

The State Government’s delay in taking decision on implementing the three-package-solid-waste management system proposed by MCC has put the common man in trouble.

With the new proposed system, MCC can outsource the collection of garbage. The agency will collect waste from door-to-door, segregate it and also transfer it to the dumping yard using tippers.

However, delay in approval of this system has put MCC in a fix as it can neither give the contract to the bidders nor can they start off with the alternate system.

When the proposed system is in a stagnant stage, garbage woes in the city have increased. With the lashing rains, the rain water is mixed with the garbage and the dirty water flows on the streets. The residents fear that the scattered garbage can affect health.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Usha, a resident of Pandeshwar complains that disposing garbage in the garbage container near her house has become a punishment. “Most of the times the garbage bins are full. The garbage is strewn all over the street.

Dogs, cows and crows make a mess out of it. With rain, the area has become slushy and one cannot bear the stench,” she says.

Jyothi Pinto, a resident of Mallikatte has the same complaint. “We have one garbage container in our area from the past five years.

In the recent years, the number of residents in our area has increased as many apartments have come up. The bins cannot handle the garbage. In addition, the waste from a wedding hall near our area is also dumped here.

Most of the times, the bins are overflowing. We need more garbage bins,” she demands.

MCC Environment Engineer Manjunath Shetty says that there are more than 600 garbage bins and 120 garbage containers in the City Corporation Limits. “There are two varieties of bins.


The 3 metre cube bin can hold garbage up to 1.2 tonnes and 4.5 metre cube bin can hold garbage up to 1.5 tonnes. We also plan to procure 50 more bins and the tenders will be open on June 11,” he says.

He further adds that if the door-to-door waste collection system is implemented, the garbage woes in the city can be solved.

Commissioner speaks

MCC Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar told Deccan Herald, that the three-package solid waste management scheme will divide the 60 wards in the MCC into North and South zones. The North zone will have 29 wards in a package and the South Zone will have 31 wards in another package.

“I have learnt that the proposal has been passed by the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) to the Urban Development Department (UD). The three-package-system will cost Rs 19 crores a year. As the amount involved is huge, we have to wait for the approval from the empower committee and the cabinet,” says Commissioner.

He further adds that the system is neither approved or disapproved by the government and MCC cannot take an alternative step. The present eight e package solid waste system expires in August. On the other hand, the rates quoted by the bidders for handling three package system expired on May 31.

In case the system is approved, the MCC has to ask the bidders if they are willing to work at the same rates they quoted, he adds.The three-package-garbage system will ensure that all waste collection vehicles are installed with GPS so that MCC can monitor the work.

Beach cleaning, street sweeping, weed removal, cleaning of dividers are the other things included in the proposed system. The outsourced agency will also prepare manure from the garbage and 50 per cent of the revenue will come to MCC.

“As the proposal is now passed to UD, I am hopeful of its approval. However, in case it is not approved, MCC is ready with the alternative plan. We shall implement the door-to-door collection system.

We may not have funds to buy the required machinery but we shall make the collection possible with labourers and pushcarts. We shall also try to get tippers,” adds MCC Commissioner.