'Segregation unit in each ward soon'

Admitting that the Palike has been misusing landfills as an easy way out to dump garbage, BBMP Commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda on Wednesday said the issue needs immediate redress.

During the Council meeting, the Palike decided to maintain garbage segregation units in
each of its wards to tackle the menace of garbage disposal and solid waste management.
Realising the severity of the issue and the importance of ground-level participation, the BBMP has discussed the possibility of rewarding at least one corporator Rs one lakh for her/his effective Solid Waste Management (SWM) programme implemented in their respective wards.

Moreover, segregation units appear to be the last hope for the BBMP to ensure effective SWM system in the City.

The City at present generates 4,000 tonne waste per day. Palike Commissioner during the meeting said the onus of identifying and setting up of garbage segregation units  was on individual corporators.

“Each ward will be allocated Rs 20 to 25 lakh for installing segregations units. Corporators are expected to provide a list of non-controversial and available spaces in their respective wards by next week,” he said.

As many as 15,000 ragpickers who are given identity cards by the Palike will be asked to go to these segregation points for filtering the waste, he added.

Moreover, the Commissioner assured that the Palike will use funds from the 13th Finance
Commission for the setting up of segregation units.

Various corporators highlighted lack of awareness about the importance of segregation of waste at home.

They also added that already existing segregation units were dysfunctional.

At the meeting Sunkenahalli Corporator P N Sadashiva suggested banning of plastic cups and table liners in marriage halls. While J P Nagar Corporator Chandrashekar Raju said there would be an automatic drop in garbage in the City once the dependence on plastic was reduced.

Also shops should be encouraged to sell jute bags to customers, he added.