Bengaluru: BBMP is contemplating to sharply hike the fines for residents who are not segregating their garbage at source. It plans to increase it from the existing Rs 100 to Rs 2,500 for households and Rs 500 to Rs 40,000 for bulk generators.
However, the track record of segregation at source in the city so far has been very poor, with BBMP not even able to cross 50 percent mark out of the total garbage generated.
Though BBMP claims it is aggressively carrying out measures to improve segregation at source, many people continue to disregard it with impunity.
They stuff all their garbage into a plastic cover and flinging it on to the push carts and mini trucks, which come to collect garbage in their area.
As per the rule pourakarmikas too should be accepting only segregated garbage. But they are often seen accepting mixed garbage from residents.
Yamini, a resident of Gavipuram said "We were segregating the garbage into wet and dry waste. But the workers who collect it mix everything, thereby defeating the very purpose." Like Yamini, many others too have felt the same.
People who are keen to segregate garbage feel discouraged when they see what happens after it is collected from them.
BBMP also does not strictly enforce the rule by catching and penalizing the offenders. In fact they do not even have proper record of the number of people caught for not segregating garbage and the fines collected from them.
When DC spoke to Mayor Sampath Raj, he maintained that the civic body was doing everything possible to improve segregation at source.
