BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is cracking the whip to improve Bengaluru’s rating in the Swachh Survekshan survey 2020. It has given strict orders to drivers of waste collecting vans to collect only segregated waste from households, starting from January 1, and leave the waste unattended if it’s not segregated.
Speaking to TNIE, BBMP Joint Commissioner, Solid Waste Management (SWM), Randeep D said, “Though we had told them earlier also, to refuse unsegregated waste, they did not take it seriously and continued to collect it. Now, they have been instructed strictly to do so.”He pointed out that it is specifically mentioned in the SWM bylaws that it is the waste generator’s responsibility to segregate it. If we as collectors, encourage accepting mixed waste, it is like BBMP itself is violating the SWM rules,” Randeep said.Some auto-tipper drivers, while speaking to TNIE, disclosed that if they leave garbage unattended, residents argue with them.
However, when Randeep himself went for a spot inspection, he found that many still dispose mixed waste and are not aware of the difference between dry and wet waste. He has asked officials to start an awareness drive on it, and if the mixing continues even after that, then people will be fined.BBMP officials revealed that in order to keep the city’s Swachh Survekshan ranking high, they are now going out and checking segregation and black spots of the city.
In fact, Randeep, has asked divisional Assistant executive Engineers (AEE), Zonal Superintendent Engineers, and Health Inspectors to do spot inspection from 6 am every day and send him a live location on WhatsApp, as a proof to show that they are on the field. “We need to keep a check ourselves and that is how we will be able to achieve a good Swachh Survekshan ranking. Even State Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar has issued directions asking us to work on making the city clean. This will happen if all the concerned officials are on the field and conduct frequent checks.” he said.The joint commissioner has even asked officials to make ward-wise data and submit the data on him on places where segregation is not happening, to charge them with fines.