A year that brought respite to Mandur residents

Two years after the City was in throes of garbage, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) started learning the basics of scientific disposal of waste in 2014.

After repeatedly going back on the promises made to the residents of Mandur, the civic agency finally stopped sending waste to the based landfill in the village from December 1, 2014.

The alternative solutions suggested and partially implemented are: waste-to-energy units, waste-to-biogas plants and waste-to-manure units. This apart, the Palike is also claiming to be working on reuse and recycling of waste.

The Palike, with the support of the State government, is setting up  garbage processing units at S Bingipura, Lakshmipura, Gundlahalli, Chigarenahalli, Mandur and Karnataka Compost Development Corporation premises in Kudlu. The Palike is also setting up six bio-methanation units, and dry waste collection centres at 170 wards.

However, faulty garbage contract packages remain a challenge for the civic agency. The highest bidder for the contract was BVG India, a  Maharashtra-based firm. Out of 90 contract packages, the firm got around 50, but failed to live up to the expectation. As a result, many of its contracts were cancelled. Yet, the firm is not able to deliver what it is expected of. The firm faces major challenge in Yelahanka, Vidyaranyapura and Rajarajeshwarinagar.

Yelahanka is the only place in the City, where 100 per cent of the garbage is being segregated. However, the initiative is going for a toss due to the poor door-to-door waste collection segregation. As the Palike Commissioner stated in the Council, the poor performance of the BVG India may necessitate some more disciplinary action against the firm.

Meanwhile, the State government has come out with an idea of splitting the Palike into two or three municipal corporations. A committee headed by former chief secretary B S Patil has already submitted its interim report in this regard. It has sought six months’ time to come out with the final report. In its interim report, the Committee has recommended restructuring of Palike, but is yet to decide whether to bifurcate or trifurcate the BBMP.