BENGALURU: Senior BJP leader S Suresh Kumar and seven councillors from Rajajinagar Assembly constituency have set an example for fellow leaders by taking the initiative to ensure waste segregation in their area.
Rajajinagar has seven wards - Dayananda Nagar, Prakash Nagar, Rajajinagar, Basaveshwaranagar, Srirama Mandira, Sivananagar and Kamakshipalya. They generate around 170 tonnes of waste every day, of which 60 per cent is wet waste. At present, only 40 per cent of the total waste is segregated. Suresh Kumar is a four-time MLA and among the councillors, most are first-timers. “Our approach is a three-tier one. Some 10 days back, I convened meeting with all seven councillors and discussed issues relating to waste disposal, including segregation at source,” he said.
Later in the week, the MLA and his team met all the pourakarmikas working in the constituency. “There were around 400 pourakarmikas. I had invited BBMP solid waste management expert committee member Ramakanth to address them. We also listened to the pourakarmikas’ complaints. Many said residents don’t cooperate and give them unsegregated waste. I have asked them to tell us which residents do so. Me and the local corporator will visit these houses and educate them on segregating the waste they put out,” the MLA said.
On Monday, Suresh Kumar and his team visited waste processing units in Seegehalli and Kannahalli, located on Magadi Road. From Tuesday, they will visit colleges and schools. “To begin with, we will visit the Prakash Nagar government high school and Sai College. This is an attempt to give parents lessons in segregation through children,” he said.
Mayor is Doing His Bit
Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy is visiting schools and colleges every day to educate children about the need for segregation. On Tuesday, he met schoolchildren at Gurappanapalya ward in Jayanagar and distributed dustbins for wet and dry waste. Last week, he participated in a jatha with students from schools and college in East zone.