VIJAYAWADA: A curious transformation often occurs when Indians travel abroad. People who may casually litter at home become careful about disposing of waste properly and respecting public spaces.
The behaviour is driven less by unfamiliar laws and more by social norms—nobody wants to be seen violating rules in a place where everyone else appears to follow them. Yet, once back home, many slip into old habits, exposing a gap between awareness and everyday practice.
In Vijayawada, despite colour-coded dustbins being placed across commercial areas, waste segregation continues to be a challenge. In several locations, waste can be seen scattered around bins instead of inside them, raising questions about whether the issue lies only with infrastructure or also with how the system is used.
According to VMC Chief Medical Officer (Health) K Arjuna Rao, the corporation introduced green, red and blue dustbins in commercial streets following the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016. “The green bins are for biodegradable waste, and the blue bins are for non-biodegradable waste, while red bins are meant for domestic hazardous waste,” he said.
Rao added that with updated SWM Rules 2026, a fourth category has now been introduced - black bins for electronic hazardous waste. “The replacement of the old tri-colour bins with the new four-colour system is underway. The bins from Prakasam Barrage to Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium have already been replaced, and the process is continuing in other commercial areas,” he said.
Explaining the system, Rao said these bins are placed approximately 50 metres apart in commercial areas, mainly catering to the floating population. “The sanitation staff clear these bins between 7 am and 1 pm,” he said.
He added that the collected waste is taken to transfer stations at Auto Nagar and Ajit Singh Nagar before being sent to Naidupeta and Guntur for waste-to-energy processing.
“The biodegradable waste is treated through vermicomposting and onsite composting. VMC has six vermicompost units and four onsite composting facilities, and the compost is used in VMC parks,” Rao said. However, while infrastructure and awareness efforts exist, implementation on the ground appears uneven. Some bins in commercial areas like Governorpet were partially detached from their setup.
Awareness stickers explaining segregation were also not consistently maintained, as some labels were found torn or missing, including a bin on Eluru Road where the segregation sticker was absent.
A sanitation worker involved in waste collection said, “Sometimes the waste comes segregated, but many times we have to separate it ourselves while emptying the bins. People still mix different types of waste, which makes the process difficult.”
According to Rao, VMC conducts IEC (Information, Education and Communication) activities through mic announcements, audio messages and awareness shared by sanitation workers.
Stickers explaining the colour codes and waste categories are placed on bins in Telugu and English. “Even after facilities are provided, people are not making use of them properly,” Rao said.
Waste management is a shared responsibility. A proper system requires functional infrastructure, regular maintenance and monitoring, but it also depends on citizens using the facilities correctly and following segregation rules.
Khushali Agarwal