Bengaluru: Though many individual houses and apartment complexes process wet waste and convert them to compost, thereby reducing the burden on BBMP, they still have to pay solid waste management (SWM) cess.
There is now a demand to waive SWM cess on such households and Malleswaram MLA Ashwath Narayan has started a petition on Change.org in this regard.
In his petition dated October 2, Dr Narayan said, "The petition is to endorse progressive and sustainable actions to make Namma Bengaluru a city that will compost recycle and reuse wet waste."
Citing that it is getting increasingly difficult to find a solution to the city's growing waste, Dr Narayan said, "If the government waived off the solid waste management cess for households and apartments which manage and compost their 'wet waste' in-situ, it will encourage others to start composting."
He said this will greatly reduce the amount of waste the city has to manage daily and the financial burden of waste management.
Going into the details of the amount required to process garbage, Dr Aswath said, "BBMP is spending more than Rs 1,100 Cr to collect, transport, process and manage the 'wet waste' and ‘dry waste'. While the minimum SWM cess collected per household is Rs 120 per annum, the maximum is '600."
Taking into account the collection, transportation and processing of waste, coupled with management and administrative overheads, the cost of processing garbage is Rs 12,000 per tonne.
Dr Ashwath urged the government to help make composting a self sustaining activity by creating a proper channel for collection and distribution of compost.
When Deccan Chronicle spoke to Mayor Gangambike, she said it is a good idea and will reduce BBMP’s burden.
"Households and apartments which process wet waste and convert them into compost should be encouraged and be exempted from the SWM cess. I shall take up the matter with the BBMP Commissioner and figure out a model," she said.
Compost santhe to be revived
Replying to a question on the failure of 'Composting Santhe' concept introduced in every ward during former Mayor Padmavathi's tenure, she said "Even Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Krishna Byre Gowda expressed the need to revive the idea where compost made by people will be purchased by the agricultural department."
