The answer to the city’s mounting garbage problems lies in the complete implementation of segregation of waste at source. But, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) can implement this only by bringing about a paradigm shift in the way citizens view solid waste management and cooperate with the civic body.
However, due to lack of will to segregate waste, mixed waste is being sent to the new processing units.
Despite knowing pretty well that segregation at source is a pre-requisite for the success of processing waste, BBMP has done precious little to enforce the segregation two-and-a-half years after it was made mandatory.
Many solid waste management experts blame the BBMP’s lack of planning and a roadmap for ruining the newly-constructed waste processing units.
During the civic polls in August, officials say, the civic body was forced to send mixed waste to the yet-unopened new processing unit,s after protests erupted near the Bingipura landfill.
But, members of the Solid Waste Management expert committee are not ready to buy this argument. “We have been persistently insisting all through the processing unit development phase on simultaneously putting in place a road map for segregation. But, the BBMP failed to do so,” said N.S. Ramakanth, member of the committee.
A drive launched in 2012 after the notification failed as contractors mixed the segregated waste. The contractor had a built-in disincentive to not segregate, as payment was based on the weight of garbage being dumped at landfills.
The committee later drafted a new contract, mandating segregation and penalised collection of mixed waste. The BBMP attempted to introduce this new contract in 98 wards. The issue is presently in the High Court.
“We were planning a phased transition to processing units from landfills. But, the untimely protests at Bingipura and Doddaballapur and the stay on the new contracts put us off track,” a senior BBMP official claimed.
Unless BBMP fixes the contracts and gets pourakarmikas to implement segregation, it is impossible for the city to break the vicious circle and implement an effective solid waste management system. And, if the current arrangement continues, the new processing plants would soon be reduced to landfills and provoke more protests by neighbouring residents. After using state-of-the-art technology for building waste processing plants, BBMP would have only relocated the problem to new sites at a cost of Rs. 200 crore.
Processing units turning landfills
With immense pressure to rid the city’s streets of garbage, most processing units are forced to receive mixed waste, essentially turning them into landfills.
N.S. Ramakanth, member of Solid Waste Management Expert Committee, said that mixed waste was being sent to the two new units at Kannahalli and Seegehalli despite virulent protests by the local communities.
Though MSGP unit at Chigarenahalli is a processing unit, it is receiving most of the city's garbage, along with the nearby Terrafirma, another processing unit.
Govindaraju, a local villager, said that at least 250 trucks laden with non-segregated waste go to the Chigarenahalli plant every day. “The Chief Minister has promised to review the situation in March 2016 and promised to close both units if they turn into landfills,” he said.
At the KCDC plant in HSR Layout, where the civic body faced stiff opposition from residents due to the foul smell caused by mounds of unprocessed garbage, the BBMP has now resorted to spraying lemon grass solution. But, it has not stopped sending mixed waste.
Dumping along national highways
Though evidence is yet to come by, communities living along the National Highways leading out of the city are accusing the BBMP of dumping waste in their villages on the sly. In October last week, communities near Bidadi complained that garbage from south Bengaluru was dumped in their villages. Last weekend, residents of Veerananjipura near Nelamangala accused BBMP of dumping festival waste in their village.
Why segregation at source failed
* Though made mandatory in 2012, payments to contractors were based on the weight of garbage taken to the landfill; contractors mixed the segregated waste.
Legal challenge to revised contracts for 98 wards.
Pourakarmikas don’t have infrastructure to collect segregated waste
Shortage of pourakarmikas
Shift in strategy after protests closed Mandur landfill in 2014
BBMP began building six processing units at a cost of Rs. 200 crore in 2014-15
Overall capacity: 1,800 tonnes per day
The setback
Before they became operational, protests erupted in Bingipura and Doddaballapur in August 2015
BBMP forced to dump mixed waste in processing units
Civic body failed to implement segregation, a pre-requisite to the success of processing units
Six new processing units
Area Capacity(tonnes per day)
Lingadheeranahalli 200
Dodda Bidarakallu 200
Subbarayanapalya 200
Seegehalli 200
Kannenahalli 500
Chikkanagamangala 500
Total 1800
QUOTES
We are caught in a vicious cycle where residents around landfills are protesting and BBMP is either forced to send mixed waste to processing units or leave garbage mounds on the streets. Citizens need to work with the BBMP to implement segregation on a war footing
— Kalpana Kar, member, Solid Waste management Expert committee
Despite initial hiccups, we are striving hard to send only segregated waste to the processing plants. The rains and protests have added to our woes. We are working towards streamlining the process and will soon start a campaign to segregate waste at source
— G Kumar Naik, BBMP Commissioner
Islands of hope
Though old garbage contracts are still in force, a few pockets in Yelahanka and Rajarajeshwarinagar have shown the way in segregating waste at source.
In these areas, waste collectors pick dry waste separately twice a week, forcing citizens to segregate. Waste management expert N.S. Ramakanth said that this model should be replicated across the city on a war footing.
However, pourakarmikas across the city are not provided with the required infrastructure, such as separate bins and vehicles, to transport segregated waste. There is also a severe shortage of manpower, as the present workforce is expected to sweep and clean streets as well, he said.