The Hindu 05.11.2013
BBMP to empanel vendors to collect, process waste
Soon, you will be able to just make a call and get
someone to collect waste from your house. This is what the Bruhat
Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) hopes to achieve by having in place
vendor empanelment.
According to senior BBMP
officials, the civic body will have several vendors empanelled
(recognised), who will offer solutions to citizens with regard to
disposal of various kinds of waste.
The official
explained that some kinds of waste, such as construction debris and
waste leftover after a function or party, are a burden for the civic
body.
“There may be some kinds of waste that can be
recycled instead of just being dumped at a landfill. The citizens now
have a chance of ensuring this does not happen by contacting vendors,
who will ensure that the waste is processed properly,” the official
added.
However, these services come at a price. The citizens will have to pay the vendors to pick up the waste.
This
is touted as being a “win-win” proposition for both citizens and the
civic body. BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayan said that while the BBMP
will not be burdened with the waste that can be processed effectively,
the citizens can be rest assured that the waste does not end up at the
landfill.
“All the vendors who have been empanelled
will be listed. Citizens who wish to avail themselves of their services
have to call the listed number. With more vendors empanelled, there will
be competition amongst them and they will be forced to offer their
services at competitive rates,” he added.
The BBMP,
he said, will soon issue the expression of interest for the processing
of various kinds of waste, including dry, wet, plastics, metals,
construction debris and e-waste.
“The manpower and
machinery that the vendor has will be checked before he is empanelled.
Once empanelled, their performance will be reviewed on an annual basis,”
he said.
Waste expert N.S. Ramakanth averred that
the proposal is likely to benefit bulk waste generators more than
individual homes. Stating that this system can be implemented after a
thorough study, he added that the BBMP will specify sanitised landfills
for disposal of rejects.
“While some apartment
complexes are processing wet and dry waste, they do not know what to do
with the rejects or inert waste. Having this system in place is a
solution to that problem,” he added.