Dedicated squads to monitor garbage management at ward-level will be in place across the city from the first week of August. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) will form special squads involving members of resident welfare associations (RWAs) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to ensure scientific waste management and create awareness on solid waste management rules.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, KSPCB Chairman Lakshman said that solid waste management is a major challenge in the city and to handle this, squads are being formed at ward levels.
“We have written to the BBMP commissioner to join hands with KSPCB in this scheme,” he said.
Each squad will have six to eight people including, environmental officers from KSPCB, ward level BBMP officials and RWAs members. In areas where there are no RWAs, local residents who are actively working in their locality will be part of the squad. The teams will visit all the black spots, garbage collection and segregation points and ensure that waste is managed properly.
In the first week of August, the teams will inspect areas to find out how garbage is collected and disposed off. They will conduct awareness programmes and educate residents and pourakarmikas (civic workers) on solid waste management rules. In the following weeks, offenders will be warned and subsequently action initiated agains them, he said.
“This is the need of the hour as garbage related problems are increasing in the city. Many loopholes were spotted during last week's inspection of various waste management units across the Bengaluru. The KSPCB teams found that garbage was not being segregated and solid waste management rules not implemented. This is also an offence under the provisions of Air and Water Act, 2016.
“Untreated sewage water entering lakes and garbage being dumped into water bodies have also been noticed.
Thus, a decision was taken to form such squads,’’ Lakshman said.
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