Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike seems to be serious this time, in taking steps towards implementing the waste segregation and management compulsorily in the city. For the second time in this week, the BBMP has issued an advertisement that announces fines for various offenses, in accordance with the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Act – 1976.
The BBMP advertisement signed by the Commissioner states: “lt has been noticed that even after repeated notices the guidelines given are not being followed. BBMP will henceforth strictly enforce the rules and regulations and defaulters will be fined as detailed below.”
1) Littering, spitting, urinating, open defecating, committing other acts of nuisance on road, bus station, railway station, street, playground, park and other premises of public utility – these will attract Rs.100 for the first time, and the second time and subsequent offenses will be fined Rs.200.
2) Failure to segregate dry waste from wet waste and handing over the same separately to collection of waste in accordance with the notification, bye-laws, public notice or circular issued by the competent authority from time to time –
(I) by any domestic occupier – Rs.100 for the first time offense, Rs.500 for second and subsequent offenses.
(ii) by any bulk generator or commercial complex – Rs.500 for the first time offense, Rs.1000 for second and subsequent offenses.
3) Failure to comply with any lawful directions issued by the Commissioner to ensure cleanliness and hygiene of road, bus station, railway station, street, playground, park and other premises of public utility: Rs 100/ for first time, Rs.200 for second and subsequent offenses.
4) Failure to segregate and hand over garden waste, inert waste, sanitary, non-Bio degradable and bio-medical waste or any other category waste separately to the Corporation for the purpose of
handling and transportation of the Wastes in the manner specified by the Corporation – Rs.500 for the first time offense, Rs.1000 for second and subsequent offenses.
5) Irregular deposit of rubbish or filth or any solid waste – Rs 100 for first time, Rs.200 for second and subsequent offenses.
6) Allowing filth to flow in streets – Rs.100 for first time, Rs. 200 for second and subsequent offenses.
7) Depositing carcasses of animals or filth in improper place – Rs.100 for first time, Rs.200 for second and subsequent offenses.
8) Dumping of building waste irregularly – Rs.1000 for the first time, Rs.5000 for the second and subsequent offenses.
The BBMP Commissioner has also designated Assistant Executive Engineer or Assistant Engineer of every ward to be the penalty-imposing authority.
Two days ago, BBMP had issued a circular announcing the sanitary waste collection centres and phone numbers of the health inspectors concerned, in the 22 wards designated for Kasa Muktha pilot project. The list follows.
With all the system in place, now it looks like only the effective implementation of the scheme is what remains now. Citizen Matters will in future, track the implementation of Kasa Muktha scheme.
I suppose as usual the BBMP issues circulars and orders. I would be surprised if all the officers named are aware of this circular.
The mess in garbage collection should be laid at the original enthusiastic and uninformed decision of The RWAS going back to the nineties. Rather than get a categorical statement from the local health officer of what help he need to organise collection many went ahead and organised rag pickers to collect; others got some places to sort, others to compost.
Then they went further and organised door- to-door collection and got sponsors from organisations for trolleys and so on. Many of these were competent retired professionals. Sadly they refused to look beyond their noses to see the even segregated garbage was dumped in the same truck. They argued it was not their duty to find out where the garbage was being dumped. They did not realise, maybe, that they were getting rid of it from their doorstep and putting it on some unsuspecting villagers.
The final straw was to remove all garbage bins. enthusiastically cheered by all.
The RWAs actually created the way for the garbage Mafia or whatever else is holding the city to ransom.