Mangaluru: The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) is preparing an action plan to implement a mandatory waste segregation system in all wards of the city in accordance with a recent High Court order.
A meeting in this regard was held on Tuesday at the MCC Mangala Auditorium. MCC Corporators, officials, MCC Commissioner Akshy Kumar, Mayor Diwakar Pandeshwar, and others were in attendance. “We will use the services of multi-purpose workers and valve men to create awareness on segregating waste at the source,” said the Mayor, seeking the cooperation of the councillors to create awareness among people.
“We will form a separate cell of corporators from the ruling party and members of the Opposition, along with officials, to effectively implement the waste segregation system as it is the need of the hour to implement the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2016. We must achieve 100% of the target in waste collection,” he said.
He added that it must be made sure that only segregated waste reaches the dump yard. “All bulk waste generators nust set up waste management units at their premises. All residents should, in the meanwhile, segregate waste at the source. Waste collection vehicles will collect wet waste on all days except Fridays, and dry waste will be collected only on Fridays. Separate vehicles will be sent to collect both dry and wet waste on all days from fishing ports, restaurants and other commercial premises,” he added.
Addressing the meeting, MCC Commissioner Akshy Sridhar said that the Solid Waste Management (SWM) will be easier only if citizens cooperate with the city corporation. “All the citizens have a responsibility to segregate the waste before handing it over to the waste collectors,” he added.
Environmental engineer of the corporation Madhu Manohar said the Karnataka HC has considered the issue of solid waste management very seriously while hearing a writ petition filed by Karnataka Legal Services Authority where the garbage sliding tragedy at the Pachanady landfill was mentioned. “The High Court has directed the MCC to implement the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 effectively,” he said, adding that waste generators and the MCC have their own responsibilities with regard to the segregation of waste and should abide by the prescribed laws.
Speaking on behalf of the Opposition, Corporator Praveenchandra Alva asked that the QR code system be implemented in all wards and suggested that Swachhata inspectors create awareness about sorting of the waste by going door to door.
To this, the Commissioner said success could be obtained only if citizens cooperate with the MCC.
Meanwhile, some councillors complained that Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd is not collecting waste on a daily basis in some wards. In the wards that lie on the outskirts of the city, waste is collected once in three days, even though the contract states that they have to collect waste every day.
Responding got this, Manohar said that Antony Waste Handling Cell has informed the MCC that they are facing problems when it comes to finding spare parts for some of their vehicles. “They have 84 vehicles for waste collection, of which eight are non-functioning. That is why there is a delay in the collection of waste in some areas. They have, however, promised to rectify the issue soon.”
The Mayor, however, argued that in such a case, the company must find an alternative instead of making excuses.
