Sophisticated trash processing unit in offing to ease waste woes

Week-long fair to give gyan to citizens on freedom from garbage

Bangalore has really started thinking big. It aims at setting up the most sophisticated garbage processing unit, which can give complex to any five-star hotel or an IT-BT company.

At a press conference in the air-conditioned hall of the Freedom Park on Saturday, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board Chairman Dr Vaman Acharya revealed the grand plans for a sophisticated garbage processing unit in the City.

Packed with power-point presentation, the conference was a curtain raiser to the week-long Garbage Fair, “Wake Up, Clean Up Bangalore” organised by many government and private organisations, which will be inaugurated on Sunday by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.

Many who’s who of the City attended the press conference including Mayor D Venkatesh, Palike Commissioner Siddaiah, Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Britannia MD and CEO Vinita Bali, Kalpana Kar, Almitra Patel and FKCCI Chairman S Ejaz Ahmed Sait. The biggest association of the builders and developers, Credai, was also among the organisers.

Dr Acharya said the event has been organised at Freedom Park to send a message that Bangalore wants freedom from garbage.

“It’s sad that our problems such as garbage are becoming news and not our efforts. We want only processing yard instead of dumping yard. It should be more sophisticated than any five-star hotel or any IT-BT company. Our aim is to generate electricity, bio-gas and compost manure from the waste,” said Dr Acharya.

Community participation

There was, however, a catch in this dream project. “People will have to segregate waste, which is presently not happening in Bangalore,” said Dr Acharya.

Undeterred by the indifferent attitude of the citizens who have not yet started segregating waste, Dr Acharya said, “Our effort is to turn Bangalore from Garbage City to the Best Garbage Managed City.”

Palike Commissioner Siddaiah pointed to the absence of a cordial relationship between the citizens and the Pourakarmikas, who feel isolated, although they are tasked with keeping the City clean. He also highlighted the plight of the Mandur residents, who have been at the receiving end of Bangalore’s garbage.

“What rights do we have to dump waste in Mandur and make the lives of the villagers miserable? We have to think these matters from a humane point of view. It’s high time we dispose our waste in the best possible way,” he said.

Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy said the City has to find ways to get rid of garbage and retain its tag of Garden City. In her speech, Vinita Bali said corporate giants have come together to save the City from garbage menace. As an industry, Britannia has decided not to contribute to the garbage problem, she said.

“We have set a target for ourselves that our factory should produce zero garbage. Now we are on the way to achieve greener energy. We will turn plastic into polymer fuel,” said Bali. Almitra Patel and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw too expressed their views on the occasion.