Civic bodies adopt 'model' plans to clear garbage

Seven city corporations take steps to manage waste scientifically

The reeking garbage problem in Bangalore has proved to be a wake-up call for other city corporations in the State: Civic authorities in seven city corporations have swung into action to scientifically manage municipal waste and prevent their cities from going the Bangalore way.

All these city corporations – Mysore, Mangalore, Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad, Davangere, Bellary and Gulbarga – have been taking steps to segregate and process the municipal waste. And most of them have adopted public private partnership model to dispose of the waste.

While Belgaum and Mysore city corporations have already launched their solid waste management (SWM) projects, the Mangalore City Corporation has completed the tendering process, and is about to launch the project. For Hubli-Dharwad, the State Cabinet recently okayed a proposal to take up a SWM project under design-finance-build-operate-transfer basis. The Gulbarga city corporation has now sought the Cabinet’s approval for a similar project.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has now tied up with Pune-based Hanjer Biotech Private Ltd to set up a waste processing unit on a 10-acre land at Subbarayanavala village near Tavarekere, off Magadi Road, on design-build-operate-and-transfer (DBOT) basis. The plant is being designed on the lines of the one functioning in Salem in Tamil Nadu. It will segregate dry and wet waste and convert dry waste into pellets (fuel).

“All city corporations will soon have a proper mechanism to dispose of garbage scientifically. Directions have been issued to them to take immediate steps in this regard. Over and above PPP project, the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) has asked all the corporations to purchase their own pelletiser machines,” Urban Development Department Principal Secretary P N Sreenivasachary said.

Mangalore has roped in Delhi-based Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd which will convert wet waste into compost and dry waste into fuel (pellets) in the next six years. The company will take care of an estimated 226 tonnes of waste generated every day in the corporation limits, and the corporation will be paying Rs 1.7 crore per year for this purpose, MCC Environment Engineer Manjunath Shetty said.

Salem model

The Gulbarga City corporation has adopted the BBMP model and will be implementing the Salem model of SWM.  “The company will segregate dry and wet waste for the next 25 years. The company will generate pellets using dry waste and wet waste will be disposed of at landfill sites. The corporation will be paying Rs 18 crore to take care of 170 tonnes of garbage generated every day in the city,” Gulbarga city corporation Commissioner C Nagaiah said.

The corporation in Belgaum city has recently taken up waste segregation at source seriously. Segregation has been introduced in six “model” wards. Dry waste generated is being auctioned, while wet waste is being shifted to landfill sites. The system has almost stabilised in six wards. It will be extended to the entire city in a phased manner, Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis said.

SHGs help in segregation

Mysore has been setting up what it calls zero waste management plants at six places, where waste will be segregated and processed with the help of self help groups. The city already has a small SWM plant at Vidyaranyapuram.

“Mysore is one of the fastest growing cities. We have asked the civic authorities in Mysore to identify lands on the outskirts of the city for SWM purpose in future. Bellary and Davangere too have been asked to streamline the system,” Srinivasachary said.