Mandatory segregation of waste in 31 wards from July

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to implement compulsory segregation of waste in a phased manner.

To start with, segregation will be made compulsory in 31 wards in core areas of the City from July 1.

Addressing a gathering at the Karnataka High Court, BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana said the Palike has initiated measures to set up garbage segregation centres in all the 198 wards of the BBMP.

The event was organised by the Advocates Association of Bangalore. Some wards will be declared zero garbage zones from July 1 where the pourakarmikas (sanitation workers) will collect only the segregated waste.

5,000 tonnes

He said that everyday about 5,000 tonnes of waste is generated in the City, that is lifted twice a day by nearly 20,000 pourakarmikas.

He emphasised that the amount of garbage should be curtailed to reduce dependence on landfill sites. Segregation of waste at source will reduce the garbage generation by 25 per cent, he added. The commissioner also appealed to the residents to stop littering waste.

“BBMP alone cannot keep the City clean. We need citizens’ participation. There is a need for the public, Residents’ Welfare Associations and the BBMP to keep the City neat and tidy,” said Lakshminarayana.

He assured the advocates that the BBMP will provide dustbins to keep the High Court premises clean.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice K Sreedhar Rao emphasised on constructing  more grade separators in view of the growing number of vehicles in the City. He also felt the need to chalk out a strategy to contain epidemics and vector-borne diseases.