BANGALORE: The BBMP is making an attempt to find a solution to the city’s garbage crisis by interacting with authorities of San Francisco and Dubai through video-conferencing.
The BBMP had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), on co-operation in waste management and recycling, with San Francisco Mayor Edwin M Lee in December 2013. Lee had then stated that his city recycles 80 per cent of its waste. “We have the highest rate of recycling waste in our country and are trying other means of technology to reach 100 per cent. We do not want to dump waste in landfills,” he had said.
Now that solid waste management has become a major crisis with Mandur villagers protesting against dumping of waste at landfills, the BBMP is planning to approach San Francisco.
Speaking to Express, Mayor B S Sathyanarayana said according to the MoU, the BBMP can seek San Fransico’s help in dealing with municipal waste.
“We are in touch with the Mayor’s office in San Francisco. We have sent a mail and will interact with them through a video conference this week. The exact date has not been finalised,” he said.
When asked whether the BBMP authorities, including him, will visit San Francisco on a ‘study’ tour, Sathyaranarayana said they will first connect via video-conferencing.
“If we feel the technology can be applied here, we shall visit. They have been inviting BBMP authorities to visit their city,” he added.
Not just San Francisco, the BBMP authorities are also planning to interact with a Switzerland-based company that deals with garbage management and has set up its units in Dubai.
Deputy Mayor N Indira, who has recommended the company, said: “They have done a fantastic job by making Dubai a zero-waste city. We are interacting with them on Wednesday at 4 pm through video-conferencing. The Mayor and District In-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy will also be present,” she said.
“If they feel the company can solve the city’s garbage crisis, some of them (BBMP offcials) are likely to visit Dubai,” she added.