Waste management goes smart in Electronics City

Members of the Electronics City Industrial Township Authority (Elcita) and Sweep Smart of the Netherlands, on Wednesday, launched a smarter solid waste management (SWM) system in the industrial township area.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration, Rama N S, CEO of Elcita, told DH that this was the first time that such an initiative was launched in the area for better management of waste. On Wednesday, a conveyor belt garbage sorting system and a system to track garbage vehicles were launched.

Rama said Elcita had been running the SWM facility for the last three years in partnership with Waste Wise Management and Consulting Services and I Got Garbage, a platform by Mindtree. The Netherlands group contacted Mindtree and it was brought to Electronics City to see the waste processing system. They liked its working and wanted to bring in new models. The system was launched after three months of pilot testing. Waste collectors segregate and collect dry waste which is put on a conveyor belt.

All waste is put in different types of bins and then recycled or sold. The unsegregated waste moves to the end of the conveyor belt, from where it is collected in a large bin and sent to waste processing units. All the wet waste is composted and used, Rama explained. The cost of installing the machine was just Rs 5.5 lakh and the land required was less than an acre. Around 75 companies in Electronics City generate 3.4 to four tonnes of waste every day, this includes small and big industries, eateries and big hotels. Big companies like Infosys and Wipro are managing their own waste, she said.

Elcíta comes under the Municipality Act of 1964, amended in 2003. It reports to the Urban Development department.