New tech to sort out garbage at dry collection units

In order to tackle the rising dry waste, the BBMP will rebuild over 10 technology-based new dry waste collection centres.

The government has given a 4G exemption to StreetSmart, a company based out of the Netherlands, to design these centres at various points wherever necessary. Here, the waste will be sorted mechanically, unlike the existing centres where it is done manually.

“The ragpickers recover over 38 types of dry waste materials including plastic, steel and paper among others at these centres. But these new machines enable the process through conveyor belts and make the work of ragpickers easy. Besides, their patented machines occupy less space having necessary compartments one above the other,” explained a BBMP official.

“As a part of availing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding programmes to the companies in their country, the government of the Netherlands has mooted the project. They are bearing 15% of the project cost. About 35% of funds for this come from Swachh Bharat cess and remaining 50% from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP),” the official added.

The rest of the dry waste collection centres will be upgraded at the cost of Rs 40 lakh. The segregation of waste was made compulsory in 2016. Since then, the need for dry waste collection centres is increasing as the people are mandated to segregate waste at the source level. Considering the growing demand, the civic body has taken this step.

“Initially, not many were interested in dry waste collection centres, and there was no provision of funds also. But now, as the waste segregation has gone up by 54% so far, the need for the centres is growing,” added the official.

However, the ragpickers are not going to be affected in any way, as the technology-based centres will only turn favourable to them.

“Since machines do most of the work, manual efforts are reduced. Also, the amount of waste sorted per day will increase, and the ragpickers will have more work to do,” said Mansoor Ghouse from Hasiru Dala.

The only thing they have to cope with is the increase in the electricity bill.