MLAs want bill on waste segregation deferred

Legislators cutting across party affiliations on Friday demanded that the government defer by at least six months the implementation of the bill that seeks to impose hefty penalties for not segregating garbage and on people urinating and dumping litter in public places, in all the City corporations, including the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The MLAs, including many belonging to the ruling party, advised the government not to implement the bill till adequate preparations are made. “Pourakarmikas and garbage contractors are not trained to handle segregated waste. There are not many public toilets and urinals. So, it is impractical to implement the proposed legislation,” they pointed out.

Nobody is opposing the proposed legislation. But the fear is that it would meet the same fate as the Act, which banned erection of flexes and cutouts in public places.
The Act is blatantly violated and the corporations have not been able to prevent violations.

“It (the bill) should not become a laughing stock. All the stakeholders should be taken into confidence before its implementation. Otherwise, it will only serve to fulfil a formality,” BJP leader S Suresh Kumar said.

Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar said the government had failed to impose a ban on gutka due to lack of preparation. The government should not take any hasty decision. There should be an extensive public debate on the bill before it is passed in the Assembly.

Congress MLAs M Srinivas and B B Chimmanakatti said there was a possibility of the officials misusing the provisions of the bill. An officer can get a gullible person imprisoned on the pretext that he/she has committed a violation. There is no mechanism to keep track of the number of offences committed by a person.

Shivalinge Gowda of the JD(S) said thousands of people from the rural parts of the State come to Bangalore every day. “There aren’t many urinals in Majestic area. Where will they answer the call of nature? Who will educate them about the penalty?” he asked.

OFC regulation

Besides, the amendment bill seeks to regulate laying of optical fibre cables by imposing certain conditions. The corporations are authorised to collect fees or annual track rent on OFC firms.

Suggestions

* Construct public toilets based on density of population
* Take up awareness campaign
* Drop a provision for imprisonment
* Train pourakarmikas and contractors in handling segregated waste
* Include e-waste disposal in the bill
* Take steps for scientific disposal of garbage
* Allow public debate before notifying the proposed legislation