Trash Course for Bengaluru

Imagine no household waste being wasted. For Bengaluru, sitting on a stink bomb, it could only be a dream. The IT city has now realised that there is no quick-fix solution to waste management. Towns and cities like Chikkamagaluru, Kolar, Belagavi and Mysuru have shown that ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ is the mantra for the success of solid waste management

MYSURU: What is it that sets Mysuru apart when it comes to waste management? The answer: It has  cleaned up its act. And has recognised that trash is indeed cash.

It is no wonder then that  Mysuru has topped the Swachh Bharat rankings among 476 cities in the country this year. Mysuru led the cities with minimal open defecation and extensive adoption of solid waste management practices. In recent years, it has been focusing on collection and management of garbage.

Over 3,000 pourakarmikas go door-to-door collecting and segregating 402 tonnes of garbage. The solid waste management plant set up at the Sewage Farm converts garbage into manure. As there is a high demand for this manure from the locals and farmers, it is sold at a cheaper rate.

The district administration wants to dispose of solid waste scientifically through landfills in Shyadanhalli and Doddakanya.

The authorities plan to increase the capacity at all the nine zero waste management plants set up in different zones. At present, 5-6 tonnes of waste are treated at each unit per day, and plans are afoot to increase the capacity by 10 tonnes  in each unit per day. A proposal has also been sent to the government to set up a solid waste treatment plant at Kesare and Rayanakere, with 100 tonnes capacity each. All these initiatives help reduce the load on the sewage treatment plant.

MCC health officer Dr H Ramachandrappa said the city will soon be made free of garbage containers. “The waste deposited at the Sewage Farm Treatment Plant in JP Nagar will be capped so that the foul smell can be checked,” he said.