Redefining all notions associated with a garbage collection point were the much-trumpeted stop-and-drop units christened Nirmal kiosks that sprouted at several nooks and corners of the cityscape in late 2014. Those chic, trendy and ethnic-looking dainty spaces were undoubtedly worth a glance or two. Over a year since the first unit got unveiled at Karamana in September 2014, a stocktaking does not present a rosy picture. Appealing looks apart, it had in store an early demise and 12 Nirmal points now remain mute spectators with their doors closed for ever.
The operators, a Bengaluru-based private firm, started putting in efforts for more viable options than continue pursuing unproductive paid-kiosks.
Here, biodegradable waste materials were brought by the customers themselves, who indeed had to pay for the leftovers as well, at a rate of Rs 5 per kg, weighed in the kiosks.
“After early success, it yielded less than 50 per cent result in the long run. People were less attracted to the time slot when the units opened during morning and evening. In order to keep the project alive, we then switched over to door-to-door collection utilising the manpower hired for operating the kiosks. In certain areas, the positioning of the kiosks was inappropriate for the activity to be undertaken in it,” said Subeesh S of V Care, the firm that was in charge of the operation of units and disposal of waste collected.
From the crude make-up of iron sheets, the kiosks had received a makeover as an elegant-looking bamboo outfit, the first of such coming up in Sreekanteswaram, a month after the maiden unit turned operational. Kudumbashree workers were in charge of the units for collection. The ideas booming, the City Corporation, on the other hand, was worried over lack of sufficient resources, space and sponsors. Embracing ‘ethnicity’ too was to hold the purse strings with procurement of materials coming at a cheaper cost. The inaugural spree of Nirmal kiosks reached its crescendo towards the fag end of the previous council’s tenure with the number touching 12.
Now, the Nirmal twin, the way its operators prefer to call the rehashed methodology, is moving into its full-fledged form in Arannur ward near Karamana. An eight-member team was engaged in the trial run of garbage collection, including plastic from houses, for over a week. From Monday onwards, it is becoming an active process. Nearly 300 homes will be part of the system in the initial phase.