GENRE: Solutions

In Part 1 of this series, I wrote about how we, at Sobha Quartz apartment in Bellandur, have been composting garden waste. Our compost pits are not just an ideal way to dispose of garden waste, they also yield high-quality manure for the entire garden. Our apartment association also saves around Rs 25,000 annually with this process, as we don't have to ship out the waste or buy chemical fertilisers for the garden anymore. But how exactly does composting happen? And how can you ensure good-quality compost? This part of the series deals with these questions. What exactly is ‘composting’?…

Many apartment complexes and layouts in Bengaluru have large gardens with flowering plants and trees. A lot of yellowing or dry leaves fall to ground everyday in such gardens, and these are swept away regularly. Hedges are also routinely pruned to maintain aesthetic appeal. This generates significant amounts of garden waste. Many complexes dispose off garden waste to tractor operators, who pick it up, assuring it would be dumped in approved sites. Though these operators charge stiff prices, no one knows where they ultimately deposit the waste. I would like to highlight a better, responsible way of handling garden waste, based on…

Have you ever organised a party, and discovered that you have a lot of extra food at the end of it? And did you hate seeing that food go to waste? There are organisations in Bengaluru that collect excess food or dry rations, and redistribute it to those in need. Some of these organisations are purely run by volunteer efforts. If you want to donate food or volunteer for the cause, here are some organisations that may interest you. The Robin Hood Army (RHA) collects excess food from restaurants, parties and other events, and redistributes it. Founded in Delhi in…

Do you have shoes that don’t fit anymore, books that are gathering dust, or clothes you no longer use? Do you want to get the stuff out of your house, but don’t want it to end up in the trash? Luckily, there are organisations in Bengaluru that can help you deal with just this. These organisations have passionate volunteers who collect donations, and ensure that these reach deserving people. This saves resources, and helps bridge the gap between surplus and shortage. You could also connect with these organisations, and become a volunteer yourself. Waste not, want not Goonj is an…

This February, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) published the Draft Bengaluru Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Policy. On inviting public suggestions and objections on the draft policy, BMRCL got just 32 responses. To put this number in perspective, Bengaluru’s total population is approximately 120 lakh, of which the working population is around 55 lakh (46 percent). Adding to this, the 5-19 age group which also needs to commute, would peg commuter numbers in the city at an estimated 77 lakhs (about 64 percent of the total population). But, only 28 lakh use public transportation. Obviously, the commuter numbers are…

Across Bengaluru, apartments have been popping up like mushrooms over the years. This poses several challenges to the city, including waste management. Though BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) has introduced many rules that require apartments to manage their own waste, not all apartments follow these. Some apartments face practical difficulties such as lack of space or the heavy investment needed to install a composting unit. The poor management of waste affects not just apartment residents, but all citizens. But the solution could be quite simple. Back in the olden days, people used to segregate and compost their wet waste - mainly…

A short walk in any part of Bengaluru will reveal that any available surface space has been turned into parking space for cars and motorcycles - be it footpaths, area by the curb along roads, or vacant plots. Last October, the head of Bengaluru Traffic Police warned that the iconic Cubbon Park in the heart of the city was turning into a parking lot. But motorists around the city invariably complain about the difficulty in finding space for parking. Does that mean enough parking space isn’t available? Proposal for paid parking This March, the Kumaraswamy government approved the Draft Management…

Bengaluru's waste problem is worsening by the day. According the to city's draft Master Plan (RMP 2031), over 10,500 tonnes of waste will be generated everyday within BBMP limits, by 2031. But each of us can easily reduce waste if we purchase consciously. This was the concept behind a flea market organised by the volunteer group Second to None, in collaboration with Citizen Matters, last Saturday. Second to None is an online community that helps connect citizens across Bengaluru to buy and sell used, recycled and upcycled products. They also organise flea markets where you can buy these products in…

Four months after the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) initiated serious action on waste reduction and management in the city, the civic body is beginning to see the results. According to statistics obtained from Chennai Corporation, the daily average of garbage collected in Chennai has fallen from 5098 Metric Tonnes (MT) in March to 4493 MT in June, a reduction of 605 MT. In other words, Chennai Corporation is stopping an average of 18000 MT of waste from reaching the already burdened landfills of Perungudi and Kodungaiyur every month. Roadmap to reduction Here are the five steps being followed by Chennai Corporation…

Everyone has a role to play in reducing the amount of waste Bengaluru generates. But when bigger entities like businesses commit themselves to the cause, the impact may be greater. Take Bengaluru’s teenage-led initiative to reduce water use in restaurants. Garvita Gulhati, a 19-year-old student, had started the 'Why Waste?' campaign in July 2015, calling on restaurants to only half-fill water glasses and to ask customers if they needed water at all. The campaign has reached out to over one lakh restaurants by partnering with organisations like the National Restaurant Association of India. 'Why Waste?' estimates they've saved two lakh…