Blaze in JP Nagar dry waste centre ignites safety concerns

A dry waste collection centre (DWCC) in JP Nagar being set on fire recently has exposed inadequate safety measures to protect such establishments and their workers.

Several solid waste management activists and volunteers believe that the DWCC, located in JP Nagar’s ward number 177 and managed by former waste picker Kumuda with a self-help group, was burnt down by someone with vested interests.

Most DWCCs in the city are cramped, tin-roofed structures with limited space, making them susceptible to disasters. Activists believe that these centres should either be reconstructed to provide ample space or be moved to open areas, acknowledging that it might not always be feasible.

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Fire insurance

As a primary safety measure, activists said that the BBMP should provide fire insurance to the DWCCs in the city. "The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has handed over 50 of these centres to the waste pickers to manage it themselves. Despite that, these waste pickers are still contracted workers under the BBMP so they must take some responsibility," an activist said.

NGO Hasiru Dala ensures that these centres are provided with a fire extinguisher and conducts annual fire drills to train DWCC workers.

However, as Hasiru Dala co-founder Nalini Shekar noted, these are preliminary measures that hold up until additional help comes in from the fire department. "The onus is on the BBMP to provide better infrastructure and safety to all workers in DWCCs," she said.

Payment problems

Glaring safety issues apart, the fire incident has highlighted another unsolved problem — lack of timely payments to the workers by the BBMP.

Seema, a member of the volunteer group Kasa Mukta Bellandur, said the BBMP provides very little support overall and even less for safety. "There are many waste pickers who haven't been paid in many months. Ideally, the BBMP must support them and ensure they are paid regularly," she said.