‘Need better ways to manage waste in city’

BENGALURU: Bengaluru still maintains its title of Garden City of India due to its protected parks and gardens. However, due to haphazard constructions and demolition of old buildings, the debris has become a blemish on its image. Another issue that haunts the city is the ubiquitous piles of garbage, strewn on roadsides, empty sites, footpaths, etc.

Bengaluru alone is said to be producing 6,000 tonnes of garbage a day, of which nearly 90 tonnes is constituted by non-biodegradable sanitary napkin waste and another 60 tonnes are diapers, which end up in landfills, sewers or are burnt at suboptimal temperatures releasing toxic gases.

Although BBMP has taken various steps to curb the problem with waste segregation at source in residential areas and setting up waste management plants, the onslaught by the increasing population and the ensuing packaged and sanitary waste, is posing a burden. The issue needs to be addressed in a multipronged manner.

The onus lies on every resident. Responsible consumerism, avoiding overpackaging, recycling, waste segregation, home or community composting; segregation and disposal of sanitary waste separately or adopting menstrual aids such as cloth pads and menstrual cups will help bring down the volume of waste generated.

SOLUTION: Setting up well-functioning waste energy plants, composting units and waste segregation units in prime areas without much transport (via open tractors and trucks) involved will need a strong will from BBMP and a sustained support from the private sector. With institutions like Indian Institute of Science and several large IT companies, Bengaluru can be bailed out by the combined efforts towards developing sustainable technology solutions in waste management.

Stricter infrastructure laws for upcoming residential complexes and spreading awareness in the crowded areas and urban slums can help reduce waste generation. We all want a Silicon Valley nestling in the Garden City, and not a concrete jungle strewn with garbage.

Let your mixed feelings about Bengaluru get stirred up, as an influential person talks about things nice and nasty about the city in this  weekly column

Dr. Aruna MuralidharAssociate director, Fortis  La Femme Hospital, Bangalore