BENGALURU: With the Mandur deadline fast approaching and the BBMP seeming as unprepared as ever, many Bengalureans have decided to take things into their own hands to prevent their neighbourhoods from turning into dump yards.
Joining hands with resident welfare associations, and brainstorming with neighbours in gated communities and apartment complexes, they are rolling up their sleeves to manage and dispose of the waste produced in their homes so that the streets outside are not littered.
“Somebody had to make a start and the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ campaign was the booster we needed to manage our own waste. We started by segregating garbage and composting it in the grounds of our apartment,” says Mr Pankaj Gulati, a resident of Sobha Mayflower in Bellandur.
The residents who generate about 200 kgs of wet waste a day, convert it into manure.
“We get about 50 kgs of manure every day . It is used in our complex for gardening and also given to others who may need it,” he adds.
At the Classic Orchard gated community on Bannerghatta Road, the residents began segregating garbage in 2009, way before the crisis hit the city.
“We stopped giving our garbage to the BBMP a few years ago and manage both dry and wet waste at the plants we have set up ourselves. We use the manure to maintain the gardens,” says Mr Subbu Hegde, a resident.
According to BBMP environmental engineer, Mamtha though segregation of garbage is a big challenge, residents of even small apartments are now coming forward to install composting plants on their terraces.
“The response to managing garbage in homes and in localities is phenomenal. Awareness is increasing not only among residents of apartment complexes but also among those living in individual homes.
Since it doesn’t cost much to install a composting plant (a basic one costs Rs 1,000), many Bengalureans are installing them in their homes to get rid of wet waste,” she explains.
