BENGALURU: As the Freedom from Waste campaign gathers momentum across the city, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Friday directed the commissioners of the five city corporations to issue notices to government departments that fail to undertake cleanliness and waste clearance activities.
Addressing a virtual review meeting on the campaign, the minister said all government offices in the city must mandatorily clear waste from their premises and surrounding areas. “The campaign has been progressing successfully and gathering momentum with each passing day. Between August 1 and August 6, 10,056 tonnes of construction & demolition (C&D) waste have been cleared from 453 public locations across the city,” he said.
He also directed officials to compile details of cleanliness drives undertaken by government departments and ensure that citizens are made aware of the progress achieved under the campaign. “Any issues, however minor, should be resolved promptly through better coordination among departments,” he said.
The minister directed officials to ensure that waste disposal at designated quarry sites is not disrupted during the monsoon. Construction and demolition debris must be disposed of only at government-designated locations. He also instructed officials to take preventive measures to ensure that cleaned locations are not used again for illegal dumping.
Marshals have been deployed at designated C&D waste disposal sites to monitor operations. The minister directed officials to make arrangements for shelters, drinking water and food for them. He also told officials to properly record the arrival and departure of tipper trucks.
At present, 54 tipper trucks and 18 earth movers are engaged in C&D waste clearance operations across the five municipal corporations.
The minister directed officials to increase the number of tipper trucks and make optimum use of additional earth movers and tractors wherever required to accelerate the campaign.
Illegal waste dumping sites identified
Officials and marshals have so far identified 3,022 locations across the city where Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste were being illegally dumped. These sites are estimated to contain 59,823 tonnes of waste. The minister directed officials to physically verify all identified locations and ensure that there is no duplication with sites that have already been recorded.
The minister noted that the Traffic Police are currently not permitting the movement of tipper trucks engaged in waste clearance between 7 am and 10 am and 5 pm and 9 pm, which is posing a hinderance. “I have directed the GBA chief commissioner to hold discussions with senior Traffic Police officials and take necessary steps to allow vehicles engaged in the Freedom from Waste campaign to operate at all times,” he said.