HYDERABAD: Remember the two-bin waste segregation programme promoted by the GHMC? The blue and green colour bins might be sitting in various corners in the homes, but the primary motive to segregate waste from the source remains unfulfilled.
After pumping in close to 41 crore into the exercise, the trickle-down effect of the “failed” exercise stands in the face of GHMC as a hindrance at least for the coming one-month. The departments’ fortunes to make it big in the Swachh Survekshan ranking 2019 seems wobbly.
Instead of waste being segregated at the source, it is being done by the garbage collectors and ragpickers at various garbage transfer stations in the city.
“We wanted the citizens to actively participate in the garbage separation right at the source, but a lot of awareness is required to be created and the exercise has failed. The dignity of labour that is due to the garbage collectors is being denied due to it,” said a senior official, while adding that methods to revive the exercise through community resource person and giving prizes through IVR didn’t work out. However, with this the sanitation conditions in segregating took a hit. As many as 1,250 points out of 5,000 points are at stake as the surveyors will just observe the City and mark the points.
Toilets yet to be fully functional
The local body will also be on the back seat on the functioning of toilets in public places. The GHMC official observed that a lot of toilets are being closed in the City. While it is “maintenance” that is being cited as the reason. But, elsewhere, it is simple reasons like drainage outlet connections not being given.
Take, for instance, the smart bus shelter at Khairatabad. Despite inaugural of the shelter, the toilets are closed for public convenience. Accessible public toilets is another forgotten parameter taken into consideration at many of the toilets as railings to take support and walk towards the toilet, in case of those constructed above the ground, is omitted.
‘GHMC app not taking complaints’
It has become easy for several to register their complaints on the GHMC app, but a lot of such complaints are being redirected to other stakeholders or being closed. “When I registered my complaint, the officials said that it does not fall in our line of operation but in Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited (HRDCL).But the GHMC officials, now, operate on the road to check the depth of road. How will the issue be solved when they don’t want to take complaints,” said K Mohan, a social activist from Kukatpally.
15 people fined for urinating in open
Charimnar region saw 15 denizens penalised at Rs 100 for urinating in the open by the GHMC, according to sanitation officers.