Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 24: The problem of garbage handling has been becoming an enormous problem for the city corporation. As per the high court order, separating wet waste from dry has become imperative. Even after the city corporation introduced punitive measures for non-segregating the waste, the sorting is not being done properly. Therefore, the city corporation is now thinking of opening dry waste collection centres at four spots in the city.

Plans are underway to open these collection centres under the Swachh Bharat Mission in association with private companies on the model adopted by Ullal municipality.

Ullal municipality has entered into an agreement with Hasiru Dala and APD Foundation for opening of the first ever dry waste collection centre in the district. Eighteen tonnes of waste is collected in Ullal everyday out of which four to five tonnes is dry waste. As per the agreement, Ullal municipality provides facility for collection, processing and stocking of reusable waste. Hasiru Dala and APD Foundation provide technology along with training in waste handling.

The city corporation plans to set up four dry waste collection centres like in Ullal, said environment engineer of the corporation, Madhu Manohar. A few NGOs have evinced interest in this plan. The corporation will call for tender. The chosen companies will collect dry waste, sort them and manage them, he stated.

Before the COVID lockdown, the waste collection in the city was 330 tonnes per day. Now the average waste collected is 276 tonnes. But the waste disposal unit at Pachanady has a capacity to handle 200 tonnes per day. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, this capacity is being enhanced.