Manage waste well, say children too

by August 28, 2012 Environment

2000 students met BBMP Commissioner and appealed to BBMP to implement an effective solid waste management system for Bangalore. On their part, they promised to completely stop using polythene bags and littering.

Given the current garbage situation in Bangalore, it is interesting to take note of the future generation’s perspectives on the same. Around 2,000 civic club members from CMCA (Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness) voiced their opinion on the whole issue and students from 50 schools signed and submitted a memorandum to Shankarlinge Gowda, the then commissioner of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), on August 3rd.

CMCA civic club children handing over the memorandum to the then BBMP Commissioner Shankarlinge Gowda. Pic: CMCA

A few of the schools that took part in the drive are Sacred Heart Girls High School, Army Public School, St Josephs Boys High School, Prasiddhi School, Baldwin Boys High School, St Josephs Indian High School, St Aloysius Boys High School, Frank Anthony Public School and Delhi Public School.

They made a fervent appeal to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to implement an effective solid  waste management system for Bengaluru by:

  • Making waste segregation in homes, medical and commercial establishments compulsory.
  • Completely banning the use of plastic bags in the city.
  • Introducing effective systems to ensure E-Waste and toxic waste is collected and disposed safely.
  • Creating scientific landfills that don’t pollute and poison our own environment and that of surrounding villages, threatening our right to health and life.
  • Ensuring greater transparency in awarding and implementing garbage removal and disposal contracts.  
  • Ensuring that contractors collect and dispose our waste as per rules and law.
  • Ensuring Pourakarmikas employed by garbage contractors are secured of minimum wages and safe working conditions.  
  • Launching a massive and sustained public education drive in Bangalore to ensure citizens stop littering the streets and start segregating waste in their homes.

The children promised to stop the complete usage of polythene bags and littering. They also said that they would educate others around them to be sensitive to the problems and conditions of Pourakarmikas and treat them with respect and dignity.

CMCA is a 12 year old civil society organisation which runs an innovative civic club program across 6 cities and villages in Karnataka, to inculcate civic and democratic values in children. For more details visit www.cmcaindia.org⊕

Sections:

About Priya Krishnamurthy

Read more by Priya Krishnamurthy

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Air quality management is a governance problem, not just an environmental one

by and March 2, 2026 Environment
Despite massive funding, Indian cities face weak governance, poor data, and limited capacity, as air pollution continues to worsen.

Indian cities are struggling to breathe. Air pollution is a year-round governance challenge. In 2024, 35 of the 50 most polluted cities globally were in India, with PM2.5 concentrations above 66.4 μg/m3. This is at least 13 times the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and at least 1.6 times the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India. Citizens continue to bear the brunt of worsening air quality, and urban local governments (ULGs) are at the forefront of the problem, being primarily accountable for their citizens' first mile. While they do have a role to play in addressing this threat,…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Protecting urban green cover: The process and penalties for tree felling in Chennai

by February 27, 2026 Environment
As green spaces shrink amid rapid development, here's a citizen's guide to navigating Chennai’s updated permit system for tree cutting.

​Two decades ago, Gandhi Nagar in south Chennai was a shaded green canopy, recalls Meera Ravikumar, a resident. “Now, in the name of development, many incidents of tree felling have occurred in the past 15 years on avenues and across private properties. In highly populated and polluted urban areas, green lung spaces are important,” says the member of Swacch Gandhi Nagar, a citizens group.   Since 2000, India has lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover, according to the 2024 Global Forest Watch. Tamil Nadu has fared better than most states — its forest cover has remained “largely stable” since…

Continue reading