Ecoistic: Solid Waste Management in Bengaluru still a major concern

Today Bengaluru generates almost 5,000 tons of Solid Waste every day. These include waste generated by residential areas, commercial establishments, hotels, hospitals, institutes, etc. And the BBMP is in charge of carrying out collection, transportation, processing and disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) from all the above mentioned generators. To enable this collection BBMP has also set up a system of door to door collection which has to be processed before land filling.

Currently the BBMP collects waste from house to house across residential areas, slums, shops and establishments. And about 80% of the collection and transportation activities have been outsourced. Auto tipper / Autos and pushcarts are used for the primary collection. An Auto tipper has been provided for every 1000 households and a pushcart for every 200 households. About 20,000 pourakarmikas are being utilised (by both BBMP and the contractors) in for the door to door collection, street sweeping and transportation of municipal solid waste.

Self Help Group's (SHGs) and Residential Welfare Association (RWAs) are also involved in door to door collection, segregation & decentralized composting in some of the areas. Vegetable/ Fruit Market Waste: Separate system has been put in place for collection of waste from the Large Vegetable and Fruit markets. The Vendors are directed to store the waste in their premises and is collected by the Pourakarmikas and it is ensured that the market waste is transported to Compost plants.

Construction Demolition Waste: Debris, sand, earth, bricks, building materials, etc. were dumped on roads and footpaths causing hazards to traffic and health issues to pedestrians. In order to streamline the Collection of C&D waste, BBMP later identified different sites and has taken authorization for disposal of Construction and debris waste. Draft guidelines on C&D waste have been prepared and and they are also preparing the C&D Policy which will be adopted once it is finalized. Further it is proposed to arrange for collection and transportation of debris through appointed contractors who can be allowed to charge the generators at a predetermined rate. The contractors can also be allowed to recycle or "sell" such debris to other construction sites that require land filling or it can also be used for making brick and tiles. It is mandatory for citizens to get their debris removed through the helpline system. Debris generated from individual home/ office/ school etc will be charged, depending on the quantity.

Collection Mechanism for Bulk Waste Generators: A separate system has been put in place to collect waste from large waste producers like hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, markets, offices, etc. As per the High Court directions, the BBMP as notified Bulk Generators to segregate waste into different categories and manage their waste either in-situ or to utilize the services of BBMP Empanelled Service Providers. In this regard BBMP is facilitating the Bulk Generators with options of authorized service providers to engage for collection, transportation and processing of MSW. SWM Service Provider Empanelment program aims to create a platform for solid waste service providers to enlist themselves. Also as a novel initiative BBMP has entered into an Agreement with Bruhat Bengaluru  Hoteliers Association for setting up a Biometanization unit of 250 MTPD of wet waste generated in hotels.