New Delhi Municipal Council puts mark on households not segregating waste

NEW DELHI: Taking strict action against those not segregating waste despite several warnings, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has started pasting a red sticker outside their houses. If no change is noticed in 8-10 days, then penal action will be taken based on Solid Waste Management guidelines.
The civic body claims to have taken action against 170 properties on Malcha Marg, Jor Bagh, Sarojini Nagar, BK Dutt Colony, Khan Market, Palika, Golf Links, Bhagwan Das Road, Rajdoot Marg, Moti Bagh, Laxmi Bai Nagar, among other places, after closely watching the defaulters.
“We have been reaching out to residents and guiding them in segregating wet and dry waste. We also organised workshops, engaged vehicles for collecting segregated waste and then made it mandatory. However, a few households are not taking things seriously. Unsegregated waste mixed with the rest makes the entire effort zero,” said an NDMC official.
After pasting the stickers, NDMC employees have been watching for behavioural changes in the households. “We conducted a survey and found that around 40 households were following the norms. We then removed the stickers. We will be sending notices followed by a challan to the remaining households. The drive is aimed at maintaining 100% segregation at source,” said the official.
The official said that hotels and restaurants were also being watched closely, while huge complexes had been asked to install in-house composting plants.
NDMC is also carrying out workshops to share methods for home composting in residential areas. “We have carried out the exercise in West Kidwai Nagar, Gole Market and BK Dutt Colony, where we even distributed kits to make compost at home with kitchen waste. We distributed materials, such as coco peat, enzymes and buckets to the residents with the help of an NGO. We have formed a WhatsApp group for circulating information and educational material with RWAs and residents,” said the official.