BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday inked a pact with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages to put in place a sustainable plastic waste management system in the Capital.
As per the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed at BMC headquarters here, a Swachhata Kendra of 6,000 sq feet will be set up near the temporary transit station near Sainik School here for transport of solid waste. The Swachhata Kendra aims at collection, segregation and recycling of at least 6,800 tonne plastic waste in the City over the next four years. “The move will not only help reduce city’s pollution but also improve socio-economic condition of at least 700 rag pickers who will be known as Swachh Sathis,” a BMC official said.
Initially, plastic garbage will be collected from 10 Wards of the City for which ‘integrated material recovery centres’ will be set up. These centres will ensure collection of nearly five tonne plastic waste a day and its segregation. The project will also include identification of spots for setting up of decentralised dry waste collection centres (DWCC) and create women entrepreneurs through women self-help groups for supply of plastics to the main Swachhata Kendra.
The DWCCs will act as waste banks and monitored through a mobile application. These centres will also have the best transport mechanism to deliver waste to the Swachhata Kendra. BMC officials said the civic body would work closely with the Pollution Control Board and request State departments to supply plastics less than 50 microns as an alternative to coal tar for construction of roads as per the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016.