Will BMP set up a Solid Waste Management Authority?

Will BMP set up a Solid Waste Management Authority?

The Hindu

It is likely to have full control over waste management in city


BANGALORE: If the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) seriously considers the recommendations made by the president of International Solid Waste Association N.C. Vasuki, the city may soon have a "solid waste management authority," similar to the one in Delaware, U.S.

This authority, which will be an independent body, will have full control of solid waste management in and around the city, including licensing solid waste collection and disposal. The BMP and the surrounding City Municipal Councils (CMCs) and Town Municipal Councils (TMC), which now manage collection and disposal of waste on their own, will only have the responsibility of collecting the garbage and handing it over to the authority.

On a personal trip to Bangalore, Mr Vasuki, who is also Chief Executive Officer of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority, told The Hindu on Tuesday that this is the procedure followed by the 56 municipal bodies in the State of Delaware.

For the record, the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), which is consulting Mr. Vasuki to bring in reforms in solid waste management, has already started considering the recommendations made by him.

The Commissioner K Jothiramalingam, who visited Delaware in September to study the solid waste methods adopted there, is keen on implementing similar measures in the city. In fact, the proposal of collecting solid waste management cess is based on a similar user fee collected by the Delaware Authority.

This authority will not only take care of scientifically disposing the waste but also generate power from it. "And there will be no reason for people to object to the proximity of the landfills to their locality because the facility will be surrounded by trees and parks. We faced similar resentment from locals there. But after the first landfill was set up, people welcomed more such facilities," Mr. Vasuki said.

Mr. Vasuki, who hails from Mysore, pointed out that if he is given the freedom to design a landfill for Bangalore, he will `make it look like a mini Vidhana Soudha.'

The BMP has always had the problem of dumping the city's waste because it does not have designated dumping yards. Work on two scientific landfills is on in Mavallipura and Mandur, and one of these is slated for completion by June.

Mr. Vasuki, who also visited the Mavallipura landfill on Monday along with BMP officials, expressed satisfaction over the work. "But such small landfills will not serve the purpose for a long term. It is necessary to have large landfills, covering an area of at least 400 to 500 acres, so that there will not be any problem for the next 25 years," he said.