Pachanady disaster a wake-up call for responsible SWM: Akshy Sridhar

If citizens invest little effort in segregating waste at source and turning wet waste into organic manure, crores of rupees spent on solid waste management can be diverted for development works, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Akshy Sridhar stressed on Saturday.

He was addressing the flat owners after inaugurating Mangala Resource Management Private Limited’s unique biocomposting waste model at Inland Eon Apartment in Matadakani. The commissioner said that the MCC was spending about Rs 16 crore to remove waste in landfill areas. The MCC is again spending crores for collecting over 300 tonnes of solid waste from the Pachanady dumping yard.

“After the massive garbage slide at Pachanady, the MCC is now disbursing compensation to the tune of Rs 22 crore to the victims, on the directions of the High Court,” he said.

The MCC also could not apply for ranking under the Swachh Bharat Mission due to the Pachanady incident. If public co-operated with the MCC, crores of rupees spent on garbage, which is again taxpayers’ money, could be utilised for the development works in Mangaluru. Pachanady disaster is a wake-up call on the need to shift to responsible management of solid waste, he said, and added that instead of enforcement he was in favour of appealing to public on managing their wet waste. Swamy Ekagamyanandaji of Ramakrishna Mission said the unique model was being implemented for a modest fee in the 17th apartment. Thus, nearly 450 flat owners in 16 apartments are turning their waste into compost.

“There are over 1,500 apartments in MCC limits. If each household were to turn one kg of wet waste into compost, the total garbage being dumped in Pachhanady would dip by nearly 30 to 40 tonnes. Just as we wash own clothes, we should learn to manage our waste too,” he stressed and urged the MCC to ensure that bulk waste generators adopt such unique compost models. Local corporator Sandhya Acharya said she was turning her waste into compost at her flat.

Inland Eon Apartment Owners’ Association president Krishnadas Prabhu revealed that from January, they were keen on turning the waste generated in their apartment into compost. But Covid-19 pandemic was delaying the implementation of the unique model. He appealed to other apartment associations to implement the model and make Mangaluru, a role model to all cities across India.

Mangala Resource Management Private Limited Managing Director Dilraj Alva was also present.