BANGALORE: The BBMP's waste segregation initiatives may have floundered but one group of citizens is actively ploughing away at the effort and showing the way out for the city's perennial landfill woes. Residents of a housing enclave near Yelahanka have displayed how sheer will and concerted efforts can make a difference to the problem of waste pile-up.

Residents of 100-odd apartments and 26 villas from Sobha Althea and Azalea not only segregate the garbage they generate into wet and dry waste but further divide the dry waste into 14 categories. Not a bit of the 950 kg of waste generated every month goes to the landfill. It is all either reusable or compostable.

"We live and breathe waste management. It is not just a passion to clean up but a deep understanding of things related to our way of living. The landfill crisis gave us a strong reason to start waste management in a big way. The BBMP regulation came just in time," said Savita Hiremath, a resident who pioneered the initiative.

Savita started by enlisting like-minded people in the gated enclave. "Even I found it difficult to give away the black plastic bag used as lining and take to newspapers. But once I started I only became more confident," said Ranjini Ravi, member of the green committee of the gated community.

"We went hunting for best practices to evolve a contextual segregation planning. The management committee of the apartment owners' association thumbed up the process and we began interactions with all residents as a first step. The second step was to train maids and housekeepers which we started on October 2. They were reluctant thinking it meant more work but I asked if they knew about Mavallipura and Mandur," Savita explained.

The green committee that manages the waste problem has more than 10 women play an active role in training maids, upkeep of the compound and monitoring waste segregation daily. Among its members are Krishna Kannan, Sindhu Gopinath, Manu, Jeslyn George and Urmi Pakalpati.

"Some residents were against segregation. We drew flak or entered into heated arguments but made sure that enforcement is there. We waited at the apartment gates to convince the maids who did not attend the training," said Manu.

Sobha Althea and Azalea's success in solid waste management has drawn the attention of other residential enclaves in the area.

"We have been approached by residents of neighbouring apartments and gated communities to know how we manage all this. We have plans to further involve villagers and gated communities around in waste segregation and take this across Yelahanka and other parts of the city also," Manu added.

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The key to our successful waste management are the empowered housekeepers who can say no, if a particular household sends mixed waste Savita Hiremath, Pioneer of initiative

Breaking down further

Recyclers take away all the segregated waste and pays the residents nearly Rs 4,000 a month. This is paid as incentives to housekeepers. Every household has three bins-for dry waste, kitchen waste and bio-waste. The dry waste is divided in 14 types: Bottles containing food and drink; bottles/ containers of floor cleaners etc; metal cans and canisters; tetrapacks; cardboards used for packing; milk packets; newspapers; soiled newspapers; white sheets; books and note books for writing; soft plastic used for packages; coconut shells; electronic waste; wood and rubber

BBMP should adopt such a model

When citizens have the will, they show the way. At a time when the waste segregation policy of the BBMP has had little desired effect, with the public and authorities alike displaying lack of initiative, a group of citizens has not only bucked the trend but has taken scientific waste disposal to a new level. Their successful experiment is goading other apartment complexes to follow suit. Here is where the BBMP can play an effective role. It should facilitate the adoption of such a model across housing societies in Bangalore, where the garbage segregators are empowered and given incentives.

PATNA: Denizens covering their nose while passing through the lanes and bylanes is a common sight across the city. The foul smell emanating from heaps of garbage not only makes life difficult for the passersby but also have adverse impact on people living in the locality as well as on the environment. At least ten percent of the municipal waste generated in Patna every day is plastic. Around 900 metric tonnes of garbage is generated in the city daily.

According to a senior official of Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB), recycling of plastic is a myth. It can only be down-cycled. "Since plastic is made of non-biodegradable material, its degradation is not possible. Burning it produces harmful toxic gases that can cause even cancer. It also chokes the drainage and fills the porosity of soil which adversely affects agriculture," he said.

According to the BSPCB data, there are 87 plastic manufacturing units in the state capital but only 25 use waste plastic for recycling.

Executive officer of new capital division, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC), Shashank Shekhar Sinha said, "Over ten percent of the daily city garbage is plastic. Since PMC has no resource either to segregate it or the knowhow to reusing or recycling it, plastic waste is dumped for the landfill daily."

Explaining the reason behind the plastic waste on such a large scale, a BSPCB official said, "Hotels, eateries and shopkeepers use thin plastic sheets and bags for packing while gutka packets are also wrapped in thin plastic."

The state government and the civic body have failed to check its use despite the fact that using plastic is illegal. According to the data available at BSPCB, the use of plastic in the city retail stores has increased by 30% in the last one year.

The Union environment and forest ministry has issued guidelines on banning plastic. Under the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, it has banned the use of plastic materials of less than 40 microns thickness. The ban was enforced since plastic polluted the air when burnt with other garbage and also interfered with waste management processes. It entrusted the state pollution boards with the task of implementing the provisions related to manufacture and recycling of waste. Municipal authorities are responsible for plastic usage, collection, segregation and marketing in the city.

Recycled Plastics (Manufacture and Usage) Rule, 1999, under Environment Protection Act, regulated the manufacture and usage of recycled plastic bags and containers. After its amendment in 2003, it was renamed as the Plastic Manufacture, Sale and Usage Rules and banned manufacture, stock, distribution or sell of carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic of less than 20 microns thickness. Later, Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Amendment Rules, 2011, banned manufacture, stock, distribution or sell of any carry bag made of virgin or recycled or compostable plastic, which is less than 40 microns in thickness.