Though the civic body has issued several circulars asking bulk-waste generators in the city to take up composting, few are actually following the rules. In an attempt to tackle this, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has written to the Urban Development Department urging it to issue a gazette notification which will ensure that in-situ composting becomes mandatory.
The city generates nearly 5,000 tonnes of waste, of which more than 1,800 tonnes are generated by bulk waste generators. As per the Solid Waste Management byelaws, in-situ composting is mandatory for bulk waste generators. However, in the absence of a notification, many were not taking it up, admitted Sarfaraz Khan, BBMP’s Joint Commissioner (SWM).
He told The Hindu that the civic body had been encouraging bulk waste generators to take up composting of wet waste within their own premises or hire the empanelled vendors to pick up all streams of waste for disposal by paying the requisite fee.
The BBMP is pushing for the notification to be issued since much of the waste generated in the city is landing up in quarry pits. This is against the SWM Rules, 2016, regulations of the National Green Tribunal and orders of the High Court of Karnataka. The High Court also pulled up the BBMP officials recently over the issue.
In its letter to the the UDD, the civic body has specified that bulk waste generators are those who generate more than 100 kg of waste every day, including gated communties and multi-dwelling units with more than 100 residences or flats, industries and factories, hotels, IT parks, marriage halls, supermarkets and malls, hostels and government office complexes among others.
These bulk waste generators can hire empanelled vendors for disposal if they do not have the space for in-situ composting. If the generators are composting on their own premises, the compost may be sold to government-run nurseries at already fixed rates, stated the letter.
Mr. Khan said BBMP officials, with help from marshals, had made a list of bulk waste generators in each ward. This apart, the civic body had also made a list of waste management solution providers and empanelled vendors. Bulk waste generators may contact these vendors and service providers, who would handhold them after setting up in-situ composting units, he added.
