Segregate waste at source or get ready to pay penalty in Mangaluru

MANGALURU: After several unsuccessful attempts to make waste segregation mandatory in the city, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) is now planning to act against waste generators, including residents and business establishments.
In the first phase, more restrictions will be put in place at its landfill in Pachanady. The agency that collects and transports waste from the city will have to ensure that only segregated waste is brought to the dumpyard. In the next phase, officials from city corporation will commence a drive to penalise residents and commercial establishments if they do not segregate waste at its source.
MCC commissioner Akshy Sridhar told TOI that they have already started initiatives to make waste segregation compulsory in the entire city corporation limits.
“We have received a good response for the waste segregation drive in some of the wards in the city. However, we are yet to make it more streamlined in most of the wards. We are planning to make waste segregation strict at our landfill at Pachanady, where only segregated waste will be allowed, henceforth. Accordingly, the Antony Waste Handling Cell, the solid waste management contractor, will be made responsible for it, and penalty will be levied on them if they fail to bring segregated waste. They should bring waste that is segregated at the source itself. Tonnage will not be calculated if they bring mixed waste, which will make the contractor face a loss. We have already issued a notice to the contractor in this regard,” he said.
The city generates an average of 276 tonnes of dry and wet waste per day, since the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier, the city was generating an average of 330 tonnes of waste per day, the official said, adding that the city corporation has decided to impose penalties on waste generators, including residents, in the second phase.
“We will commence a drive soon, and penalty will be imposed on waste generators through health inspectors. As per the city corporation’s bylaw, a minimum of Rs 1,500 can be collected from residents, who are first-time violators. The penalty amount will be doubled for the repeat of violations. Meanwhile, penalty to the tune of Rs 25,000 also may be imposed on large-scale waste generators,” he said.