GENRE: Explainers

Bengaluru generates 6000 tons of garbage per day from various entities. BBMP as the local government and the nodal agency in charge of solid waste management, has categorised waste generators into bulk and non-bulk categories. According to estimates, over 1500 tons of waste is generated by Bulk Generators (BGs). Classification of Bulk Generators Bulk Generators have been classified into three categories, as per BBMP’s circular JC(SWM)/PRF/e-17410/2021-22 dated 30th Mar 2022: ResidentialInstitutionalCommercialApartments, Multi dwelling units, gated communities housing greater than 100 Units.Academic institutions, government departments and undertakings, religious institutions, hospitals, hospitality industry, Corporates, etc.All commercial entities which generate on an average…

Private and green sewage treatment plants (STP) are slowly gaining prominence. With the growing threat of water scarcity, climate change and pollution, Mumbai is grappling for ways to meet current and future demands of water in the city, and one avenue that has emerged is recycling the water from sewage treatment plants (STP). They treat wastewater at the source and replace as much as half the water requirement of a housing society. How much fresh water is wasted daily for activities that can be carried out using recycled water?" asks Prasad Khale, senior conservation officer at the NGO Conservation Action…

Being an urban citizen today involves an informed understanding of the climate crisis and its impact on our livelihoods. But beyond just the knowledge of issues plaguing the world, there are individual measures we can and must take to reduce the local impact of climate change. This is especially true since citizens, and not just corporations and governments, are also responsible for urban warming.  Segregating waste generated in our homes and residential communities could be one of the first steps we take as responsible citizens. The majority of our waste generated goes to landfills. 70% of our garbage is wet waste,…

Between March 6th and April 16th, the Mumbai police started a drive to clear streets of abandoned vehicles, an issue that has caused nuisance across the city. Known as the Khatara Hatao campaign, they seized about 10,496 vehicles, as per information shared by the Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey on his Twitter handle. As part of this drive, the Mumbai police tows away abandoned vehicles to a dump yard and sends notices to the vehicle’s registered owners asking them to claim them back within a month, failing which the vehicles would be auctioned. “Most of these abandoned vehicles are in…

Karnataka presently generates around 500 tonnes of biomedical waste per month. Over 70% of this ends up in landfills, contaminating soil, water and air. Part of this includes medicines, which has only increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. While hospitals and clinics account for the bulk generation of the waste, they are governed by the Hazardous and Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016, set out for them. This ensures that many of them follow some basic guidelines on responsible disposal of bio-medical waste.However, at the household level, there appear to be glaring gaps in the manner in which medical waste generated is…

We're currently living in a climate crisis. Temperatures are rising and waste in Mumbai is piling up. While policy changes and government intervention are important to combating the future impact of the crisis, there is a lot we can do as individuals to reduce emissions and be more climate-conscious.  In a city like Mumbai, people wonder if it is possible to live a low-waste and sustainable life. After trying it myself, I’ve realised that it’s not as difficult as I had imagined. Sustainability is merely a mindful choice, more than anything else. There are many options in Mumbai to support…

Over the years, Bengalureans have protested against a number of infrastructure projects that they believed went against public interest. For example the protests against the proposed elevated road corridors in 2019. Or the recent protests against metro construction on All Saints' Church land. While the protests mentioned above were successful, many others were not. Citizens often are unable to get government agencies to listen to their concerns. In many cases, they become aware of the details of a project only when construction starts. But public consultations at multiple stages are mandatory for public infrastructure projects as per the Karnataka Town…

Heat waves are not unusual at this time of the year in north and central India. Delhi faces heat wave conditions during April-June every year. What is unusual this year is that the first round of heat wave conditions hit Delhi and neighbouring states in end March and early April. And is likely to hit a peak in May. Climate experts have been increasingly warning of unusual weather events, including extreme heat, across the globe. And the dire projections all seem to be coming true. “In the Himalayas too, temperatures rose by a few degrees,” said Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director…

All property owners in Bengaluru have to pay the property tax for the financial year 2022-23. The last date for doing so without penalty and interest is June 30th, while with penalty and interest, it can be paid at the convenience of the owner. BBMP offers a 5% rebate on property tax payment upto 30th April 2022. Given the challenges of growing circumstances, BBMP must extend the rebate period for one more month (upto May) as was done in earlier years. There are some issues in the system, BBMP must rectify all bugs and malfunctions in the tax payment portal…

Brushing aside all concerns about privacy and potential misuse of sensitive personal information, including biometric details, the new Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, that replaces the colonial era Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, breezed through both houses of Parliament and is now the law of the land with the President giving his assent to the Bill. The new Bill does not only authorise collection of certain identifiable information about specified persons, such as convicts, for criminal investigation purposes. It expands the ambit of such personal details and the persons from whom such details can be taken. The National Crime Records…