Garbage management issues to be taken up in ward committee

Which garbage management related issues should be taken up by ward committees?

Issues that have no financial implications which require no fresh decisions.

These include garbage thrown around on streets, near bins, vacant sites, drains etc, burning of plastic, irregular garbage collection, non entry of garbage vehicle inside streets, non payment of garbage collectors and so on. Such complaints can be reported on the BBMP help line Sahaya. They should also be taken up in the ward committee. The Health Inspector is fully responsible to see that these are set right. The Corporator should also ensure that the garbage collection system functions as required in the ward.

Issues that require funds and/or fresh decisions.

Some problems noticed in the ward require decisions at other levels of BBMP. These include policy decisions by the Council, the Commissioner and officers working at the BBMP head office in the SWM department and sometimes other BBMP departments. Occasionally, there could be issues which need action by State govt offices. For example, if there is no DWCC in a ward, a site will have to be found. You will be told that there is no land available, although we have all seen many spots and sites where garbage is being flung . It is BBMP’s duty to identify a site for the DWCC as the High Court has already directed. If the land belongs to the State, BBMP officers and the Corporator should take up the matter with the Tahsildar and the Deputy Commissioner of the District and get it transferred to the BBMP. A site of around 5000 sq. feet would meet the full requirements of a DWCC for a ward, but smaller areas will also be sufficient for a start. It will need a fence, approach road and some structures for workers to sort out garbage. This will cost around Rs. 20 lakhs. Advanced semi-mechanised loading structures will need up to Rs. 50 lakhs.

DWCCs can be run by self help groups of women (SHGs) or some other agency, who are expected to meet their costs from money earned by selling dry waste for recycling. Funds for setting up a DWCC can be provided in the BBMP budget for SWM or taken from discretionary grants of different types.

The detailed budget categories and heads of account for solid waste management can be read in the BBMP budget for payments at item 11. The budget under this head is not allotted wardwise. Some small provisions have been made for some activities which may apply only to certain wards with special problems.

The most important head under solid waste management where provision has been made for paying for garbage collection and street sweeping is “Cleaning and transportation of garbage, toilets and urinals” for which Rs. 375 crs. have been provided for 2019-20. For the first time, in the budget another provision of Rs. 375 crs. has also been made for “Direct payment to outsourced pourakarmikas for SWM (from SFC untied and BBMP grant) Escrow Account”. These are the two heads of account from which payments are being made for streetsweeping and garbage collection. In respect of bulk generators, BBMP makes no payment to any agency and there is no budget provision for this item.