BENGALURU: Bengaluru scored miserably in the recent Swachh Sarvkeshan ranking and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has pulled up its socks to improve its image next year. As the cement industries have once again refused to take processed waste from the city’s wet waste processing units, the BBMP has now asked the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Chief Secretary to intervene.
Cement industries in Bidar, Raichur, Yadgir and Kalaburgi and other parts of north Karnataka have refused to take the waste, to be used as fuel for cement generation, from the BBMP, citing high transportation cost as the reason, despite the National Green Tribunal appointed waste management committee’s attempt to iron out issues between the industries and the BBMP a month ago.
D Randeep, BBMP Special Commissioner, solid waste management, told TNSE that as per the Extended Producer Responsibility and environment norms, cement industries have to take the processed waste, but since they have refused, the KSPCB and Chief Secretary’s intervention has been sought. According to BBMP records, 50,000 tonnes of processed legacy waste generated over three years, is already lying at the seven waste processing units.
Also, each day Bengaluru generates 500-600 tonnes of wet waste, of which 35-40% is turned into processed waste at the four functional wet waste processing units in Bengaluru. This amounts to around 250-300 tonnes of processed waste each day.
“The BBMP has said transportation cost should be borne by the industries, but the industry says transportation is a costly affair due to the distance. They also say the calorific value of the waste is not of optimum quality for the industry and would prefer to take it from nearer cities,” said an NGT Committee member who sought anonymity. KSPCB officials said they will question both the BBMP and industries. “Both are polluting the environment. Action must be taken before the NGT and Supreme Court question us,” said an official.