Ward committees are running out of time to plan processing-of-waste-at-source,but residents aren’t welcoming these centres as neighbours. They don’t trust the city corporation to maintain centres well, considering BBMP’s track record so far
BENGALURU: Bengaluru is inching towards a responsible waste-management plan, with the High Court recently directing the ward committees to plan on how to deal with waste at source. But there is a hitch, people balk at having a processing centre for a neighbour. They do not trust the city corporation to manage it well and aesthetically, considering the agency’s track record so far.
The deadline is fast approaching. According to the HC order, the ward committees in all the 198 wards will have to meet by the end of November. In this meeting, each ward committee will have to present a solid-waste management plan and finalise locations of new public sanitation units. These plans will then be consolidated into an Action Taken Report (ATR) by BBMP, and a progress report will be produced in court before the next hearing of the case on December 8.
But first, the BBMP will have to ensure they win the battle of perception as Sandya Narayan, member of the Solid Waste Management Round Table and SWM Expert Committee, points out.She says that there is much ‘misinformation’ about the issue of SWM centre within a neighbourhood. "We have heard all kinds of excuses from people for fighting a facility near their residences. Some people fear diseases, others say it will spoil the aesthetics of a place," she says, adding that they also look at the BBMP with suspicion and therefore there is the need for the BBMP to inspire confidence among people.
BBMP’s Joint Commissioner for Solid Waste Management and Health Sarfaraz Khan believes that the problem is in people’s misconceptions about solid waste and its management. “We will make every effort towards clearing this and educating them.”
Sandhya believes a rebranding, which includes design of the building, could help. "For the longest time we have been telling the BBMP that the SWM facilities should have good branding, should look pleasant," she says. Giving the analogy of a petrol bunk, she adds, "When you see a petrol bunk you know what you are getting into. It has a certain appeal. People there are dressed a certain way. It (the SWM) should look like that for the fear to go away. But if the BBMP allows it to be a dirty dump, obviously people will be repelled," she says.
Kathyayini Chamraj, executive trustee, CIVIC, an NGO that deals with urban governance issues, says that since the councillors has been entrusted with the task of setting up the SWM centres in each ward, it is their duty to convince people. "It is merely the extension of the polluter-pays principle. They should use the HC order to good use," she says.
Kathyayini Chamraj, executive trustee, CIVIC, says that this is the first time that the ward committees have been directly entrusted with the issue of preparing a SWM plan. Earlier the corporators and councillors could blame the BBMP as directions was only given to the BBMP. “They (ward committes) can now in fact even form sub-committees to deal with garbage management plan,” she says. There is also the fear that the garbage mafia will again spread it’s tentacles even at the level of the ward.
Making people stakeholders
Kathyayini points out that there should be clear buffer zones between the SWM centres and residents. There should be a way to screen the centre. It is also best to start biogas plants that cause less smell rather than compost plants that will cause a lot of stink. The gas from the biogas plant in the SWM centre can be given to the people around that area so that they have a vested interest in the maintenance of the centre. It can also incentivised. The pourakarmikas and sanitation workers can also be given the task to maintain them as a means to earn additional income. Even the National Urban Livelihood Mission mentions the same.
BBMP has other plans
BBMP’s Joint Commissioner for Solid Waste Management and Health Sarfaraz Khan says, “Let us wait for the first meeting of the ward committee, scheduled this month, to decide on anything. We will be looking at various technologies such as composting and biogas plants. The mayor also recently talked about a pulverizer that shreds garbage at source. We are also encouraging composting in homes. In Koramangala and other places residents have been using a 2-tonne plants. We asked them to increase the intake but they refused. We can consider more small plants in several places in one locality.”
Model waste management centre
The SWM centre at 1st blcok HRBR layout in Kalyan Nagar was started 18 years ago by the BDA and has been funded by the Norwegian government. Covering an area of half and acres, it services 2,000 to 2,500 independent houses and receives 1,000 to 1,500 kg of waste per day. Research students from many institutes across the world have come here to understand its workings. The Waste Management Committee of Kalyan Nagar manages it. D S Rajshekhar, resident and former secretary of the committe, says, "It is no rocket science. It is done without modern equipment. Only will and organised planning is required. It's done normally with each house segregating its waste and then it reaching the centre. There is only a shredder that was also just installed just three years ago." In 60 days, waste is converted into compost.
Kickstarting renewed projects
The HC order is expected to kickstart projects that had been lying in the dumps. For example in Shanthinagar, the BBMP had given land for a biomethanation and composting center. The place was earlier a dump and residents have been promised a SWM plan as well as public sanitary facilites and a park.