VISAKHAPATNAM: Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has made a beginning to make the city dustbin-free. As part of it, the civic body has removed dumper bins in 20 per cent of the city area where door-to-door collection vehicles have been deployed.
GVMC commissioner G Srijana said they don’t want to jump the gun to make Vizag dustbin free in one go. When there are 150 mini vans moving to collect garbage from all households, what is the need to install bins? she asked.
However, the places from where the bins have been removed may become vulnerable points if people continue to dump garbage. To discourage them from doing so, the civic body will undertake an IEC campaign and impose penalties, she said.
All garbage vehicles and bins have geotags so that they can be monitored. She told TNIE that sanitary inspectors and ward sanitary secretaries are monitoring garbage clearance in their respective areas. She said door-to-door collection and segregation of waste have improved after secretariats began functioning.
“Penalty has been enhanced for throwing waste in the open, and using plastic.”
GVMC chief medical officer of health (CMOH) KSLG Sastry said that bins are being removed in the areas where door-to-door garbage collection vehicles have access. He said the number of garbage collection vehicles will also be gradually reduced. He urged residents to focus on segregation of dry, wet and hazardous waste at source as per the latest solid waste management rules.