Citizens doubt civic body’s commitment

Lack of citizen participation in BBMP’s mandatory segregation at source initiative has irked residents’ welfare associations (RWA) and NGOs. Not only has nothing been done to create awareness, there is also a lot of confusion considering that some of the most basic of the infrastructure required to collect and manage waste are yet to be put in place.

The concerns of the citizens were brought out at a forum organised by CIVIC Bangalore on Tuesday. The panel discussion on citizen participation in governance saw more questions with regard to garbage management addressed to the BBMP representatives and the Urban Development Secretary Amitha Prasad.

Armed with the experience of the last many years, citizens said that efforts to segregate garbage came to nothing when the BBMP was collecting garbage as the waste collected separately from homes was simply mixed after collection.

“There has been no consultation with the public at all,” said Anil Kumar, of FORWARD 68 (Federation of Resident Welfare Associations of Ward 68). “There are a number of questions with regard to what the BBMP is going to do with garbage after segregated garbage is collected and even how they are going to do it,” he said.

Considering the hurried manner in which the BBMP was taking up the project, citizens wondered whether it would work at all. “Even the tenders have not been finalised yet,” said Kathayayini Chamaraj of CIVIC.
“Although RWAs, NGOs are working with BBMP to prepare IEC kits, we are running out of time with less than a week remaining for the entire process to start,” she said.

Although the BBMP is supposed to organise at least 10 workshops by collaborating with NGOs and RWAs, not even one has been done yet.

“There is a lot of awareness with regard to the problem of garbage mismanagement and mandatory segregation of waste from October 1. But there is still no clarity on how the BBMP will do this,” said CM Subbaiah, president of the Federation of North- East Residents Welfare Association.

Questions raised included what time the pourakarmikas would come to collect garbage. Considering that wet waste could not be given in plastic bags, what other options were available for those who would not be able to hand waste directly to the pourakarimikas.

Meanwhile, Salma Faheem, additional commissioner solid waste management said that the process will be perfected as and when the problems appear. “With regard to replacing plastic bags, we have a proposal to provide bio- degradable bags to dispose waste. We are looking into it. Initially there may be glitches, however, we will work on it and make it better with time,” she said.

Despite concerns, citizen activists and RWAs have given the BBMP support. “There are concerns, but this is the one chance we have to do this right. Nobody has attempted segregation at source at this scale and if it does not work in the beginning, we might not get a second chance,” said Kathyayini Chamaraj.

Santosh Hegde, former Lokayukta said that in order for citizen participation to work in the country or state or city, politicians and civic authorities had to understand that they were public servants.