In an attempt to stop non-biodegradable and inflammatory waste from landing up in the dump yards, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to introduce a three-bin system, which will help segregate dry, wet and hazardous waste at source.
Sanitary napkins, discarded cans of paints and pesticides, needles, medical waste, etc, are some examples of hazardous waste. The three-bin system will be part of the BMC’s new policy on distribution and collection of dustbins. The policy is awaiting a final approval from the civic chief. Vijay Singhal, additional municipal commissioner, said, “The three-bin system is being introduced for the first time. Considering the amount of waste generated, transported and dumped in the city, segregating the waste at source is important.”
A senior BMC official said unlike dry and wet waste, hazardous waste cannot be processed. “The only solution is to bury them. It gets difficult to segregate it during processing. Segregation at source is the best way.”
Rajkumar Sharma, coordinator, AGNI NGO, said, “Such initiatives look good on paper. The BMC needs to have a proper infrastructure to collect and transport the segregated waste. There have been a lot of complaints that citizens segregated waste from their end, but the collector mixed them in the garbage truck. Also, majority of the citizens do not know the difference between wet, dry and hazardous waste. Educating them must be on the BMC’s top priority.”
As of now, the BMC is going to float a tender to procure 30 lakh new 10-litre household bins for the city. These bins will be distributed through local corporators as per the requirement of housing societies or locals. In 2016, corporators had demanded 10 lakh bins for citizens. “According to the new policy, the corporators will have to keep a record of every household which was given a dustbin. Ward offices will have a count of the dustbins being distributed,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}As of now, the BMC is going to float a tender to procure 30 lakh new 10-litre household bins for the city. These bins will be distributed through local corporators as per the requirement of housing societies or locals. In 2016, corporators had demanded 10 lakh bins for citizens. “According to the new policy, the corporators will have to keep a record of every household which was given a dustbin. Ward offices will have a count of the dustbins being distributed,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}However, not all households will be given three bins, said officials. If a society writes to the local corporator or ward office asking for the third bin, they will get it. The new policy also has a provision allowing corporators to use their capital fund for procuring the bins. As per BMC, waste generated in city dipped from 9,500 metric tonnes daily in 2015, to 7,500mt by 2018, largely owing to penalising of bulk generators and segregation and processing of wet and dry waste.