Bangalore: In a bid to intensify its garbage collection drive and curb corruption, the Palike is putting in place a new solid waste management policy. It has proposed stricter rules to make contractors accountable and bring in segregation at source. Will it work?

Bangalore generates around 4,000 tonnes of garbage on a daily basis and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) pays about 9,400 people and employs machines to clear them. But despite these efforts, the sobriquet 'Garden City' seems to be making way for 'Garbage City'.

BBMP is not the only one to blame though — people and their ignorance have also contributed to the resultant mounds of garbage dumps on the streets. Moreover, the civic body has failed to monitor the garbage collection operations. The civic body now wants to clear the mess by introducing a new policy, which emphasises on garbage segregation at source and bring in strict rules for the contractors.

As for garbage collection, the Palike admits that there is a huge political lobby behind allocation of contracts. Because of the involvement of higher-ups, it says it often fails to prevent false-billing. Sadly, it doesn't even possess records on the amount of garbage collected and fails to discipline the process of garbage collection.

According to a BBMP official, garbage contractors have made crores of rupees after taking up BBMP contracts. "I have seen them coming in bicycles to BBMP office seeking contract for garbage collection, now they have huge money. How did they become so rich in just a few years' time? Simple, there is huge corruption in garbage collection and transportation. Not all the garbage collected reaches the designated place," he said.

Contracts for solid waste management expired in March 2010, but they renewed them for a few more years and that would be in force till fresh tenders are called.

Recently, the Palike decided to allot tenders in packages — that is two or three wards would come under a single package. Besides, the new policy framed would ensure better management of solid waste.

BBMP commissioner Siddiah said the policy would ensure that organic and non-biodegradable wastes are segregated at source — that is at the household level. It will also set up bio-methanisation plants that would generate power from wet waste and convert plastic into crude oil.

Strict conditions
BBMP's new policy would impose stricter regulations on the contractors. However, the focus would still be on door-to-door collection with special emphasis on segregation. BBMP, in its tender policy, has insisted collection of wet waste on a daily basis and dry waste once in a week. Contractors are told to collect dry waste in the phased manner — a specific day for each locality. Besides, the onus of sensitising the people falls on contractors under the new policy. A contractor would have to organise awareness campaigns as well. BBMP has also made it clear that if people give mixed waste, it would be the responsibility of the contractor to segregate them.

Time schedule
With numerous complaints pouring in from residents over garbage collectors not turning up regularly in certain areas, the new policy lays emphasis on a fixed time schedule for the collection of waste at the doorstep. It suggests a 25:75 ratio for the use of pushcarts and auto tippers for garbage collection. The new policy also aims to streamline the operations and calls for efficient collection and transportation methods.
Auto tippers should have a built-in loud speaker system to announce its arrival and the pushcarts should have bells. In order to bring in accountability and transparency, the contractors would have to maintain a record and submit it in electronic format along with the monthly bills.

Collection centres
BBMP has planned to open dry waste collection centres in each ward. Recently, it opened one at Shivajinagar. Of the 4,000 tonnes of garbage produced, 30 per cent is dry. Instead of transporting them to landfills, these centres would sell them to private companies for recycling. As per the new policy, wet waste would be transferred from auto tippers/ pushcarts to decentralised composting units, while the dry waste would be transferred to the nearest collection centres.

Safe transport
As of now, it is usual to spot open garbage vehicles with waste spilling on to the roads. The BBMP has directed the contractors to strictly avoid such instances. As a major chunk of garbage is generated in the commercial areas, the BBMP has directed the contractors to target hotels, vegetable vendors, meat stalls and market areas.

RWAs and NGOs
With more and more residents' welfare associations and NGOs actively participating in solid waste management, the BBMP has framed a new rule in its policy to allow them to take over the garbage collection. In its tender policy, it has mentioned that if self-help groups come forward to take up garbage collection, they would be entrusted to them.

NS Ramakanth, a member of the Solid Waste Management Round Table that is working towards zero-waste policy, said that many associations and companies are involved in collection and reuse of waste in Bangalore. "We started collecting dry waste from our locality in a small way and now we collect about 300 to 400 kilos per month," he said, adding that no dry waste should leave Bangalore city and all should be sent for recycling.

Pourakarmikas' appointment
At present, there are about 3,400 permanent pourakarmikas and about 6,000 contract labourers. While the state government had given the go-ahead for the appointment of 4,000 more, it is alleged that the corporators were avoiding the implementation of the proposal. "Corporators make lakhs of rupees through the contractors who hire the labourers for garbage collection and sweeping the streets. If BBMP recruits permanent pourakarmikas, the corporators fear they will lose that income," a BBMP source said. Recruitment of pourakarmikas would consume some time.