BENGALURU: Thousands of Bengalureans wish to lead a sustainable life but are bogged by many questions related to waste management.
Many among us are not sure of how to dispose of broken glasses, used sanitary pads, and diapers among others. While people wish to do their bit to save the environment and reduce the burden on landfills, they struggle to obtain the right information.
To clear the doubts of citizens about waste management and sustainable alternatives, Saahas, a Bangalore-based NGO working on waste, started a first-of-its-kind Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) in Bengaluru. The IVRS helpline number is an initiative under the Circular Waste Solutions led by Saahas.
“Bengalureans are keen to switch to a sustainable living but they struggle with basic problems and questions on how to compost, check if the compost is ready, how and where to dispose broken glass pieces, sanitary pads and diapers. Household wastes are generally divided into wet and dry, but there are other categories like hazardous waste too,” said Priyanka Gupta from Saahas adding that the new IVRS helpline aims to address such queries.
Upon calling the free helpline, the caller will be given a series of options related to waste management--- ways to compost waste at home, how to switch to sustainable menstruation, alternatives to single-use plastic and zero waste events. On choosing the preferred option, the IVRS will direct the call to an expert who will listen to the caller’s questions and give solutions.
Apart from the above-given topics, an expert will also clear other queries. Callers will also be shared with related informational videos. The number also has a WhatsApp facility where one can post queries and get answers from the experts.
The helpline number 9353902092 will be active from Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays from 9.30 am to 4 pm. It is available in English and Kannada.