Waste management system needs to go a long way in Virajpet

Even though crores of rupees are being spent by the Town Panchayat administration in Virajpet to maintain cleanliness, the dumping of waste on the streets has not been stopped.

Waste collection is being done in the households in the Town Panchayat limits through the waste collection vehicles in 18 wards of the panchayat daily.

Waste is being collected from commercial establishments twice a day. But, people and shopkeepers are dumping waste on the roadsides.

Earlier, people used to dump waste into the waste bins placed at various places of the town. Later, the waste bin system was discontinued and collection of waste was done from the households. However, the dumping of waste on the streets has not stopped.

Some citizens complained that the waste collection vehicle does not visit all places in the town.

Sometimes, the vehicles stop at the junction, play the horn and leave without waiting even for a minute. By the time people reach the junction, the vehicle would be gone.

In some other places, the vehicle would arrive after the people leave for their work, the people said and preferred the waste bin system over the door-to-door collection of waste.

“Also, the music is not played in some of the vehicles, during the vehicle’s arrival,” said people.

Town Panchayat Chief Officer A M Shridhar said that dry waste is collected on Wednesdays and Sundays. Wet waste is collected for the rest of the days.

Two new tractors and four autorickshaws will be utilised towards the waste collection, to make the process more effective. The speaker boxes that are not working will be repaired, he said.

In some places, separate boxes are provided to collect dry and wet waste. A project worth Rs 3.14 crore towards waste management, has been planned. Dry waste will be sent to a cement factory. Those who dump waste on the roadsides will be fined, he added.

The people have been requested to segregate waste at the source to ease waste processing, as tonnes of waste cannot be segregated by civic workers.