Waste sorting centre in B'luru impresses Dutch minister

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders and his team visited a dry waste collection centre at Marappanapalya in the city on Monday and interacted with waste pickers on how they sort the garbage.

The minister was impressed with the waste management system and said the visit to the centre was the highlight of his trip to India.

Named Kartavya Pragati, the waste collection centre was recently upgraded with the joint efforts of SweepSmart, a waste management social enterprise from the Netherlands, Hasiru Dala, a membership-based organisation of waste pickers and informal waste workers, Eco Echo and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike (BBMP).

Nalini Shekar, the co-founder of Hasiru Dala, said the centre had been upgraded with a conveyor belt, a bailing machine and other equipment at a cost of Rs 15 lakh.

Sathish S, a waste picker at the facility, explained to Koenders how technology had made it easier to manage dry waste which was done manually earlier.