More dustbins to keep the city roads clean

BANGALORE: Though the residents are now furious with the Corporator of Yediyur N R Ramesh for allegedly draining out Yediyur Lake, earlier this month he made a notable effort to solve one of the biggest civic problem that haunts the city — proper garbage disposal.  One can literally compare the garbage in the city to an epidemic. It spreads, increases and is almost untamable with any effort to control.  The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) attempted to do whatever they could to resolve the problem, but nothing ever really gets resolved. From dry waste centres and garbage segregation to high-tech dumping yards that have the capacity to convert household waste into electricity, there are sporadic efforts from authorities.  But the sea of waste always manages to ride higher than their combined efforts.Taking an initiative, earlier this month, the corporator and his team along with the Home and Transport minister R Ashok, installed a huge garbage container in 18 spots as identified by the local corporator and his team. This was done, according to the Corporator, to keep garbage off the roads. With the containers placed at regular intervals, the chances of garbage strewn all over will also reduce, he says.Ramesh further adds that the  main intention of the programme is to control the dumping points and dog menace, which would, in turn also help in controlling the spread of diseases. The chances of residents falling prey to health problems born of unhygienic conditions will also reduce, he explains. The total cost for all 18 containers is said to be `12,00,000. Of the 18 containers, 14 can accommodate approximately 2.5 tons while the bigger ones can handle four tons of waste. Depending on the requirement the containers are placed in the ward.The various rule booksRapid urbanisation has led to generation of considerable quantities of plastics, hazardous and biomedical waste. Under the provision of Environment Protection  Act, 1986, the Government of India has brought into Force the Hazardous Waste Rules, 1989, the Biomedical Waste (Handling and Management ) Rules, 1998, the Recycled Plastics (Manufacture & Usage Rules), 1999, the Municipal Waste (Handling & Management), 2000,   and the batteries (Handling & Management), 2001, for proper management of waste. In Karnataka, solid waste collection is at 30,16,780 metric tons followed by hazardous waste is at 2,32,560 metric tons