My Waste, My Responsibility
But my work is far from over. Now at 85, if you ask me to encapsulate my post-retirement life, I can do it in just four words: “My waste, my responsibility.” At the same time, I am well aware that waste is only one piece of the gigantic puzzle that’s causing climate change. I am not saying that my actions are sufficient to reverse this crisis. But it does give clarity to my thoughts, my actions. It lends a broad-spectrum perspective to any decision I want to make in life. I am also quite certain that if you want to make a difference and tell your future generations that you did your bit to protect the environment they will live in, then start at home: Segregate. Compost. And grow!
I had blogged about the saga of garbage during 2015 and the role played by N.S. Ramakanth and others. I had just then moved to Bangalore, and it was a shock to see Garbage all over the city. They were working very hard trying to alter the infamous epithet our city had earned as the 'Garbage city of India'
This compilation of my blogs is meant as a tribute to Ramakanth and others who made phenomenal efforts to use the right methods to deal with garbage! I had requested him to give me an update, a summary, about the present status of managing Garbage in Namma Bengaluru.
We do keep in touch, and he sent me an article he had penned! He and his wife now live in Dubai with their daughter!
Amazingly as I was working on this blog, I saw a news report wherein the Deputy CM of Karnataka speaks of the garbage mafia which controlled and still control the garbage management in Bangalore! Let us wish him all the luck!
Just imagine how hard it could be for citizens like Ramakanth and others!
If you are reading using Mobile phones, it is better to keep the phone 'horizontal'!
His article!
Leading by Example:
How Small Actions Can Clean Up a City & Tackle Waste and Turn the Tide: A Simple Solution That Starts at Home By N S Ramakanth
Each time I traveled by local buses in Bengaluru—as a conscious effort to reduce my carbon footprint—I would carefully tuck the ticket into my shirt pocket, saving it for the paper waste bin at home. To many, this might seem trivial. You might even wonder, “Why go to such lengths when the city itself is drowning in waste?”
But for me, every small action mattered. It still does. I’ve always believed that if we don’t begin with ourselves—even in seemingly insignificant ways—we can’t expect the larger, transformative changes that our communities and cities so desperately need.
When I retired as Chief Engineer from a German company in 1989 and returned to
Bengaluru, the state of my beloved city was heartbreaking. Garbage lined the streets on either side, public health was at risk, and the city’s charm, once known as Garden City, was rapidly fading. Unchecked consumption, a growing population, and irresponsible waste disposal had left Bengaluru ringed with trash, with mini landfills springing up inside and much larger ones across its ever-expanding boundaries.
I knew I couldn’t sit idly by. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work, drawing from my experience in organizing people and rallying them around a common cause. I started small but kept my focus on one mission: restoring and protecting the city we called home.
Thus began my journey, and ever since, my life has been guided by the simple yet profound principles of 'Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.' ‘Refuse’ is about saying no to things we don’t need, ‘Reduce’ asks for mindful consumption, ‘Reuse’ extends the life of items, and ‘Recycle’ turns waste into resources. These four pillars have the power to steer the world towards a sustainable future, but only if we’re willing to embrace them at the source of the problem—right where we live and work. When the solution is so simple, why aren’t we using it? Questions abound. So do answers. If only one could listen.
Segregation at Source
There is no technology, no matter how sophisticated, that can outsmart what a pair of hands can do. That’s why segregation at source is the bedrock of any successful waste management system. By separating our waste—wet, dry, and biohazardous—we unlock the potential to recycle, compost, and drastically reduce what ends up in landfills. Wet waste can be composted into nutrient-rich matter or turned into methane-rich cooking gas, while dry waste like paper, plastic, metal and electronic waste can be recycled, feeding back into the economy. It’s a simple but powerful way to turn waste into a resource rather than a problem. Without segregation, we’re left with overflowing landfills, environmental degradation, and missed opportunities. Starting this process in every home and business is key to building a cleaner, more sustainable city. It's about taking responsibility for our own waste and, through that, sparking the broader change our society so urgently needs.
So It Begins… At Home
To bring this to life in my home, we began segregating waste into three main categories: wet waste (kitchen scraps), dry waste (clean paper, plastic, metal, and e-waste), and reject waste (biohazardous and non-recyclable items). What initially seemed like a daunting task quickly became second nature. In our household, 60-65% of our waste—mostly kitchen scraps—was fed into a biogas unit I had installed in the backyard. This small, efficient system transformed our organic waste into methane-rich cooking gas, cutting down our LPG usage by 60%. The dry waste, about 30-35%, was sent for recycling, leaving only 5-10% for the landfill. A simple ve-minute effort from each family member reduced our contribution to the landfill by 90-95%! This approach showcased how effective source segregation can be—not just environmentally, but practically and aesthetically as well.
Crossing the threshold
Even as we were fine-tuning our daily routine with a razor-sharp focus on the four Rs, I got busy forming a resident welfare association in my locality Kumara Park (West) in central Bengaluru. With a small group of like-minded neighbors, we began addressing local waste issues. It wasn't easy at first—our neighborhood, like many others, faced deeply ingrained habits of indiscriminate dumping. Domestic workers would often dispose of household waste near the railway tracks. It took consistent efforts to change this behavior. I confronted the problem head-on, even when some residents threatened to report me. Fortunately, the city’s commissioners supported my work, and with time, we made progress. What began as a small effort in my neighborhood soon grew. I realised that the waste problem was much larger than just my locality, and it required a city-wide solution. Bengaluru generates over 4,000 tonnes of waste every day. I became the founding member of Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT) and along with my colleagues, I began advocating for mandatory waste segregation. Our presentations to Lok Adalat eventually led to the establishment of Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) in all of Bengaluru’s 198 wards. This was a significant victory because it created a formal system for collecting and recycling dry waste, which accounts for a substantial portion of the city's waste.
A Breakthrough With ITC
Throughout my journey, I have always seen waste as a resource, not just a problem. One of our early breakthroughs came when we partnered with ITC, a paper mill that was importing dry waste from abroad. I approached them with a proposal to supply them with locally collected waste, which they accepted. This partnership reduced their reliance on imports and provided a sustainable outlet for the city’s dry waste. It was a win-win situation— Bengaluru’s waste was being turned into something useful, and a local industry was benefiting from it.
Composting
Composting has also been a central focus of my work. I am proud of the efforts we made to transform Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, two of Bengaluru’s iconic green spaces, into zerowaste zones. We installed composters to process the dry leaves and flowers that fall throughout the year, turning them into nutrient-rich compost. Within a few months, we had generated tonnes of compost that was used to enrich the soil in these parks. This model of park-based composting is something I hope to see replicated in green spaces across all states in India.
TSC10K: Steps In The Right Direction
Beyond waste segregation and composting, I have worked to make large public events more sustainable. One of the highlights of this effort was transforming the TCS10K, a major marathon held in Bengaluru, into a zero-waste event. By ensuring that all waste generated during the event was either composted or recycled, we demonstrated that even large-scale gatherings could be environmentally responsible. It was an ambitious project, but the success of this event showed that with proper planning, waste management can be integrated into every aspect of our lives
Legal Backing
Our team SWMRT’s collective work culminated in a major victory in 2014, when the
Karnataka High Court ruled that waste segregation at source was mandatory in Bengaluru.
This legal ruling, which was the result of years of advocacy, not only changed how Bengaluru managed its waste but also became a model for other cities across India. The ripple effect of this decision is something I am particularly proud of. It showed that sustained community action could lead to systemic change.
My Waste, My Responsibility
But my work is far from over. Now at 85, if you ask me to encapsulate my post-retirement life, I can do it in just four words: “My waste, my responsibility.” At the same time, I am well aware that waste is only one piece of the gigantic puzzle that’s causing climate change. I am not saying that my actions are sufficient to reverse this crisis. But it does give clarity to my thoughts, my actions. It lends a broad-spectrum perspective to any decision I want to make in life. I am also quite certain that if you want to make a difference and tell your future generations that you did your bit to protect the environment they will live in, then start at home: Segregate. Compost. And grow!
The article is a must-read article for anyone, especially those who live in a city or a town and do not want to face the awful conditions we continue to face in our country! Just read the papers to know how bad it is!
It is a good time to recap the saga through my blogs!
Earlier blogs are put together for those who want to know more about the Bangalore Garbage Saga. Hopefully history will not repeat itself.
It also feels good to receive an unexpected compliment!
Wow, What a Excellent post. I really found this to much informatics. It is what i was searching for. I would like to suggest you that please keep sharing such type of info. Thanks junk hauling pittsburg ca
A note from Srinidhi, the blogger:
I had not chosen the option of getting an email for a comment posted on my blog.
So, it was a pleasant surprise to read this comment from while I was compiling my post on the Garbage Saga. A few had read my blog, but receiving one such nice comment felt good!
Re-reading this blog makes you wonder! He used to say there were issues which needed to be tackled at a very different level in the country! His latest write up he sent me focuses on what a citizen can do! I remember our help to segregate our garbage properly, she would respond okay I will do it. How will you stop them mixing it. If you want go and check what they do when they transfer to a bigger truck!
I am all admiration for Ramakanth to have kept trying in spite of all the problems!
Another good news is during covid the East Kumara Park went through a renovation the garbage collection centre has been moved out of the children play area. So there is hope!
It was disappointing to see an article in Deccan Herald on 2 November 2024. https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/garbage-woes-all-over-again3259361
There is also a warning in The Hindu that the present village where the Bangalore garbage is dumped will be full in about a year!
www.thehindu.com › news › cities The journey of Bengaluru’s waste - The Hindu Aug 16, 2024 · On the far side of the city at Mittaganahalli, about 360-370 compactors turn up every day carrying 3,200 metric tonnes of unsegregated garbage (both dry and wet) to dump at the 50-acre landfill.
20/12/2024· Although the BBMP, which has given contracts for door-to door waste collection from homes, has directed the contractors to pay salaries promptly, this is hardly ever adhered to.
youtube.com How Indians Handle Millions Of Tons Of Temple Offerings | World Wide Waste Jan 24, 2024 2.3M Views
Following is the latest news dated 20/12/2024, hopefully the promises made is met.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2024/Dec/20/garbage-mafia-rulescitys-waste-management-we-are-helpless-karanata-dy-cm-shivakumar
Replying to a question by members Keshav Prasad S and HS Gopinath on solid waste management problems in BBMP, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar said governments, whether JDS, BJP or Congress, had failed to resolve the issue because of the ‘garbage mafia’, but he will find a permanent solution to it.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/no-govt-has-managed-to-tacklehttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/no-govt-has-managed-to-tackle-blurus-garbage-mafia-dks/articleshow/116479753.cmsblurus-garbage-mafia-dks/articleshow/116479753.cms
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My earlier blogs
Read on for the old stories
My first blog: A crisis as usual in Bengaluru. If only we had listened to N S Ramakanth and others like him!
I have become used to garbage. In fact, I have its darshan every morning. It seemed inevitable. My friend Ramakanth from my school days had different ideas. He has been working hard to find solutions for this serious problem since his return to India some years ago. His passion is to make Bengaluru a clean city.
I met him at the get-together we had arranged for Tara's father's 98 birthday. As we had not met for a while, I took this opportunity to ask him about his passion. Also mentioned that I would like to know more about it!
He said come with me and walked out of the hall and pointed to garbage piled next to an ugly transformer on the foot path. (That is another story, the pathetic condition of footpaths in Bengaluru!). He said 'Your caterer did that. Most of it is dry waste and could have been easily recycled. So next time make it a condition that the caterer segregates.' I said yes and asked him to tell me more about his work.
It happened soon enough, I joined him on his visit to a school in Indira Nagar.
On the way to the school, he said he took a bus whenever it is convenient. As a member of the BBMP Solid Waste Management Expert Committee, he is constantly on the move talking to schools, apartment complexes, small vendors and so on.
There are many things I learned, but what hit me was the video which shows the condition of Mandur village. It was shocking! I do not know what prompted the villagers to accept this garbage. Ramakanth said it is complicated and there is no easy solution to this. It is expensive as lots of money is spent on collecting, segregating and taking it to Mandur to dump it. Obviously vested interests are not going to let go of this opportunity of getting a piece of the cake easily.
But it is not just the officials, politicians and businesspeople who are to be blamed. I guess each of us who are living in Bengaluru are culpable. We need to do our bit. I believe most of have a conscience and I am sure, once we see the videos showing the terrible situation we have jointly caused, we will all be woken from our slumber and will do our bit to make Bengaluru, and the villages we spoil, a better place to live.
I plan to blog again about Ramakanth and his work in detail. The steps are simple and easily implementable.
News items quoted below will give you an idea of the seriousness of the problem and about N S Ramakanth’s TASK :
I am not sure the links work. But this gives us an idea, the subject and Ramkanth was Hot News during the garbage crisis
TNN | 29 Nov 2014, 05:21 IST| With the Mandur landfill closed and Mavallipura residents up in arms against dumping of garbage in their midst, the BBMP has woken up to a stinker. Desperately searching for solutions, it has decided to lift waste only if citizens segregate it at source.
TNN | 22 Nov 2014, 04:00 IST| It was celebration time in Mandur on Friday. Dumping of garbage stopped in the village, near Hoskote, a good 10 days before the December 1 deadline set by chief minister Siddaramaiah.
TNN | 7 Nov 2014, 04:00 IST| The Mandur clock is ticking away. There are just 22 days to go before garbage dumping here is, well, dumped from December 1.
TNN | 1 Nov 2014, 04:09 IST| The high court on Friday allowed BBMP to process the city's wet waste for now at the facilities available in Mavallipura and Mandur
TNN | 29 Oct 2014, 04:00 IST| Both educated and uneducated respondents have voiced similar opinions on the issues. Interestingly, the top five issues are the same for both men and women.
Mandur
Jun 18, 2014
Jun 13, 2014
More about Ramakanth:
NS Ramakanth - Harmony Org www.harmonyindia.org/hportal/VirtualPageView.jsp?page_id...3 Trash craft. N S Ramakanth Garbage into gold. He has a one-point agenda to turn Ben¬galuru back into the Garden City it once was. And to achieve this, N S ...
NS Ramakanth - I Change My City api.ichangemycity.com/champion-of-change/garbage-out-money-in
N S Ramakanth. After returning from his three decade-long stint abroad, Mr. Ramakanth was appalled by the condition that prevails in Bangalore. “When I left the ...
N S Ramakanth: Latest News, Videos, Photos | Times of India timesofindia.indiatimes.com › Topics
See N S Ramakanth Latest News, Photos, Biography, Videos and Wallpapers. His profile on Times of India.
N.S.Ramakanth - About | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/NSRamakanth/135059279892730?sk...
Create Page. N.S.Ramakanth is on Facebook. To connect with N.S.Ramakanth, sign up for Facebook today. Sign UpLog In ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nwkES1V_4E
Feb 6, 2013 - Uploaded by CommonFloor RightStep
Forming an Efficient Association and Waste Management 26th, January 2013, Bangalore.
NS Ramakanth - The unsung hero from Bangalore - Chalanachithram.com www.chalanachithram.com › ... › Archive through October 01, 2012
Oct 1, 2012 - 6 posts - 3 authors
Yes, know her. Lok Satta is the platform for all such good people. If only people vote. How shameless is it to enjoy the services of a retired old ...
2 comments for my blog:
N L Sriram said...
I am not sure that the "garden city" label was ever fully justified, except perhaps in a few localities which are probably in good shape even now. The Malleshwaram pipe line extension, Sriramapuram, Kalasi Palyam, Russel Market, etc., were pretty bad even half a century ago when I used to walk or cycle in those areas. The open sewer line crossing Link road is as noxious as it ever was. Of course, the explosion in population and the increase in density makes matters a lot worse.
Ram Prasad said...
Dear Nidhi
Shri Ramakanth's untiring zeal is really commendable. Hope is not fighting a loosing battle. I feel that it boils down to the least common denominator: the individual perpetrator. Education is paramount. Filth and ugliness in the environment seems to be taken for granted. Teaching kids in school is great step.
In fact they should have schools adopt a community they serve and have the kids do the cleaning and educating folks that live there. I am sure I am not stating something revolutionary but putting this in practice and taking action must be the big stumbling block. Hats off to people like Shri Ramakanth. We need to clone him and have thousands like him help clean up India.....that will be the day!!
Ram 
Monday, December 15, 2014
'Segregation is the real solution for managing garbage' says N S Ramakanth
I never imagined when I moved to Bengaluru that I would be given an annoying morning darshan (view) of garbage dumped right opposite our home. Garbage is moved from here about twice a week to the railway parallel road. It is convenient to spread the garbage on that road to enable laborers to pick pieces of value(!) from it. It is then moved and dumped someplace on the outskirts. Or often it is just burnt on the road early in the morning! When I grumbled about it to my friends, they advised me to 'talk to someone who can change the location'!
I had no idea or cared where it was taken later! But my attitude changed after I saw the video on Mandur ..the condition of the village is shocking! The land fill in Mandur is actually hills and hills of just garbage... wonder why the village leaders accepted so much garbage? I just cannot envisage my living there.
My first reaction to the video was one of disgust and anger. The villagers surely faced serious health problems and loss because of the very thoughtless selfish actions and I felt responsible however indirect. Unfortunately, while we have contributed to their suffering, we do not seem to really bother. While we may individually feel committed to help, as a society we need systems to take care of this humongous task and making our city clean. Also, our citizens need to act as a civilized people. I strongly believe each of us in Bengaluru who jointly create 4500 tons of garbage a day need to do better to alleviate this situation.
In a civilized society garbage disposal seems easy for individual homes and it is sincerely followed. Indians who have lived abroad are used to garbage collection and follow the rules diligently. Sadly, it is not the same in India. We do have vehicles which collect garbage in the city.
Things were different earlier and it seemed that garbage management would get better with time. We do have access to technology. But it is obviously not used effectively. If you look around you, we see women with trolleys collecting garbage. But I still see it dumped in front of my house. I wonder why this happens.
Garbage handling is not simple. There are explosions of all sorts, the population, the plastics, batteries, electronic goods and so on. This has made it difficult. I remember that the 'Kasada Thotti' (dust bins) did not get filled as much in my younger days. I guess many of us had little gardens and the wet waste was used there.
We had no plastic bags, and we saved the dry waste, mostly newspapers diligently. It is true during festival days there would be a lot of plantain leaves strewn around the dust bin. It was ugly but anyway the cows would stroll in and take care. In short, places like Mandur were not invaded then.
There were shacks within the city adjoining the better ones. It is likely the administrators of the city just did not consider them as a part of the city. I remember our mayor N. Keshava stayed in a slum in Srirampur to highlight the plight of slum dwellers!
To learn more about this problem I went across to meet Ramakanth. And as he spoke, I understood that there are many levels of activity and involvement of many is necessary.
He is busy speaking, taking workshops, to individuals, apartments owners, schools, hotels, restaurants, marriage halls and even temples. He has also interacted with government organizations with mixed results. While his efforts have made an impact, and he is happy with his successes he knows a lot more is required to be done. He is particularly happy with New Krishna Bhavan in Malleswaram and many apartment complexes who co-operated with him. His mantra is illustrated below!
I am reminded of a breakfast meeting and an exhibition I attended in feb 2013 at the Freedom Park.
I wrote about it in my blog titled 'A timely wake up call'
... The Mayor of the city, The commissioner of BBMP, MLA's, many corporators and deeply concerned citizens and members of active organisations were all present at the nashta ( breakfast) and for the deliberations. The task was clear, to get Bangalore regain its name as a Garden city and not a garbage city as it is now known worldwide!
I hope many initiatives were launched and were followed up and implemented after this much publicized event. Regrettably I have not followed up on their progress. However in spite of seeing the many newspaper reports about garbage in Bengaluru, I am still hopeful that something good will come out of it while you keep your fingers crossed.
The following pictures were with Ramakanth and I borrowed it from him as they tell the story of how big a business it is! Also, how ugly it is !
Garbage is surely a big business if taken seriously and implemented well. It will make money, save money for the exchequer and Bengaluru will be called beautiful again! As Bangalore was in my child hood days! It will hopefully stop international media ridiculing us and publishing pictures like the ones above..
But this blog is all about my friend Ramakanth who soldiers on! You call him on cell phone 9341250518 and he will be there for you to suggest what you can do. He takes a bus and even change buses to arrive at your place.
https://nidhigrumbles.blogspot.com/2015/01/segregation-is-real-solution-for_10.html Monday, December 15, 2014
'Segregation is the real solution for managing garbage' says N S Ramakanth...
.Part II is an overview of how it is done in other places.
"In any civilized society garbage disposal seems easy for individual homes and are sincerely followed. Indians who have lived abroad are used to garbage collection and follow the rules diligently. Sadly it is not the same in India. "
I searched the web for more information. Fortunately I came across a blog on line on waste management in India.
I quote Antonis Mavropoulos:
I would say that from a sustainability point of view, the future of waste management in India is an issue with global importance and impacts, rather than a typical national or local aspect. The same is also true about China,...50% is the increase in MSW generated within a decade since 2001...
Within next ten years India will generate a total of 920 million tons of MSW! Almost 91% of it will be landfilled (hopefully) or driven to dumpsites!
Speaking only for the city of Mumbai, open burning of solid wastes and landfill fires emit nearly 22,000 tons of pollutants per year! Open burning was found to be the largest single polluter in Mumbai!
So where did I find those impressive figures? ... It is at http://swmindia.blogspot.com/ and I am sure that you will enjoy it. After some days I noticed that Ranjith has uploaded a recent
(January 2012) and very well elaborated report with the title “Sustainable Solid Waste
Management in India”. ..You can find the whole report
at http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/wtert/sofos/Sustainable%20Solid%20Waste%20 Management%20in%20India_Final.pdf
China also figures in a 2005 study of its situation in solid waste management.
Introduction: The control of solid waste pollution is an important aspect of environmental protection in China. According to Chinese law, solid waste is classified into three types: industrial solid waste (ISW), municipal solid waste (MSW), and hazardous waste (HW). Along with the recent economic development of China, the quantity of solid waste generated has increased rapidly. This represents a huge challenge for environmental management in China and has exacerbated the problem of solid waste pollution....... The majority of waste paper, waste metal, waste containers, and waste plastic is separated and sold to private collectors, so the proportion of recoverable materials has not increased.
Many cities have no modern MSW landfill sites because of poor economic conditions, but the MSW produced has to be disposed of every day, so the MSW is dumped at some selected sites. If MSW is dumped at a site appointed by local government, it is called “dumping at an appointed site” and is legal. If MSW is dumped at a site not appointed by the local government, it is called “discharging” and is illegal. Currently, there are 651 disposal facilities for MSW in China, including 528 landfill sites, 78 composting plants, and 45 incineration plants. 2 The majority of incineration plants are located in eastern China. Of the total of 45 incineration plants, 25 are in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong, which are the littoral provinces, and possess 80% of the incineration capacity of the whole country. Most composting plants use the static aeration system; dynamic vessel systems with high temperatures are used in about 20% of composting plants. Half of the total 78 composting plants with a capacity of 16000 tons/day are in eastern China.
Landfill is the main disposal method for MSW in China, but most landfill sites do not satisfy the national pollution standards. .....In addition, there is no landfill gas collection equipment at most landfill sites. Higher requirements have been adopted for newly constructed landfill sites, including being equipped with high density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane to prevent leakage, leachate collection and treatment systems, and gas collection and emission systems. These newly constructed landfill sites make up one-third of the total number of land- fill sites.
There is plenty to read about waste management in the report, but I would hazard a guess that many positive steps would have been taken to meet the situation in China.
Out of curiosity I checked the website to see how other countries dealt with this situation. In USA waste management is a huge business and one such organisation is covered by wikipedia. The numbers are amazing.
WasteManagement Inc is a Public limited company with a revenue of US$ 14.4 billion in
2014 with assess at US$ 21.1 billion and had a net income of US$ 953 million and has
43500 employees.. the company has the largest trucking fleet in the waste industry. Together with its competitor Republic Services, Inc, the two handle more than half of all garbage collection in the United States.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
The Bangalore Garbage Saga! A conversation with N S Ramakanth Part II
Part II deals with the group efforts, the involvement of the High Court and expected delaying tactics by the trio.
To my query about collection centers for dry waste, I was thinking of electronic and batteries and such. He said there was one in KP East, Out of 198 wards in Bangalore, 170 have dry waste collection centers and about 50% are working, (He said he had been to Dubai recently and saw such collection centers at Petrol pumps)
Anyway, once the garbage is collected from the individual, there are many ways it can be dealt with, but the least desirable option of landfill was the one BBMP chose. I asked him about the big vans I had seen parked near some BBMP offices. Compactors as he called them were not used to collect garbage from house to house as we see in the developed countries, but they are used to transport garbage to the landfills.
And what he added made me feel good! He said villagers do not allow open lorries to pass through and hence BBMP have fifty compactors, and the contractors have forty to transport garbage to these landfills.
And the garbage is being processed and it is thanks to a court order. He said two firms Terra Firma and MSPG handle 1000 and 500 tons each, Mavalipura about 100-150 tons.
These units have to be operated in an isolated place and there are 90 compost plants for Biogas. Dobbespet has one, 50 kms from Bangalore. As you convey garbage further away you pay the contractors for transport.
However it is good to know that since the infamous days since Bangalore was named a garbage city, there is an attempt to find ways to solve the problems. While the authorities continue to make do with stop- gap solutions. Thanks to a PIL filed by an NGO and seriousness with which the case is taken, there is hope.
I quote from SWMRT:
In July 2012 a PIL was filed by Kavitha Shankar against the Government and the respective departments for failure to comply with the laws under the Environment Protection Act, therefore the case of SWM for the city was moved from the Lok Adalat to the High Court. SWMRT has since then been the core supporter to the petitioner in regards to research, technical knowledge and solutions to frame relevant submissions to the High Court.
He says there are laws, and all we need is to enforce and implement them. The last one year after the court heard the PIL they have a hearing each month. NSR is very hopeful that all this will change as per court order, the decision is now to decentralize as per committee recommendations. The government will allot land to set up processing centers. He said the aim is to see that Dry waste does not go out! Out of 4000 tons, 1000 tons should not go out to landfills. Hopefully the 3 R’s Reuse-Recover-Recycle are applied at these processing centers. That again is a big subject.
Here is a report which is worth reading to understand the complexities involved. The enormity of the job ahead..
City Statistics
Area: 800 sq km Population(2008): 78 lakhs Households: 25 lakhs Commercial
Properties: 3.5 lakhs No of Zones: 8 No of Wards: 198
Primary Collection (Door to Door collection) ... is performed using pushcarts and auto tippers. There are around 11000 pushcarts; 650 auto tippers for Door to Door collection of waste.
There are about 600 MSW transportation vehicles including Compactors, Tipper Lorries, Dumper placers; Mechanical Sweepers... The waste collected from the households is brought to a common point ie.,... from where the waste is shifted to the treatment sites through compactors; tipper lorries. Segregation at source 10%; ...hence unsegregated waste reaches the processing plants.
NSR has many wishes which need to be fulfilled:
It should not depend on individuals as then enforcing becomes a problem, it should be a system
Engineers should be made accountable. Unfortunately, they have many responsibilities, hence SWM is a part-time responsibility, which makes it easy to give excuses and becoming accountable.. DMA is much better, environment officers looking after SWM Also, there is a shortage of 80 engineers.
Citizens are ready –implementing agencies are still not receptive- a change is required Still things are changing slowly. Thermacol is recycled – Tender coconut is recycled- sugar cane husk is also used. One unit in freedom park
He is also hopeful that the push by PM Narendra Modi for a Swatcha Bharat will help in changing the mindset of the people all across.
Below is a video which covers the subject well. And you see Ramakanth being interviewed!
(Missing!)
And finally, a TOI report sums it up! Read on if you want to be depressed!
Bangalore city planners don't want a solution to garbage problem
TNN | Jun 3, 2014, 04.14AM IST
BANGALORE: The city's infamous garbage is raising a stink again. Mandur, one of the city's biggest landfills, has shut the door hard on Bangalore - it's anger evident in Sunday's episode where the residents shooed away the city's development minister and mayor.
Bangalore, the city presided over by three MPs, 29 city MLAs, 198 corporators and a battery of officers in the BBMP, also has a minister to exclusively handle its issues. Yet, the waste problem springs up every quarter.
Why has IT City failed to resolve the garbage crisis? The problem lies in the mindset of the city's planners. Segregation has never been an alternative, rather, it's always been a 'throw-it-in-the- neighbour's yard' attitude.
Landfills cannot be a solid waste solution to a growing city like Bangalore, and Mandur is perhaps the best example to demonstrate this. Until 2005, Mandur village in Hoskote taluk, located around 25km away from Bangalore, was green and healthy. Then, the BBMP signed an agreement with the Mandur gram panchayat to allow garbage dumping in a nearby quarry. The agreement was signed only for a year, but nine years on, the dumping hasn't stopped.
With the agreement, Mandur swapped its famed grape farms, vegetables and sericulture for a pervasive sickly stench, pollution and ill-health. The unscientific dumping has polluted water bodies, and spawned mosquitoes and stray dogs.
Almost a decade later, there are no solutions for the 1,800 tonnes of garbage that Bangalore generates because there's a readymade dump nearby. Every night, 200 trucks leave the city for Mandur, piled high with waste. Over the years, the mound has grown to a solid 25 lakh tonne garbage mountain.
As the garbage contractor-politician nexus grew stronger, successive BBMP commissioners were forced to toe the line of this strong lobby. When the crisis broke out in 2012, then BBMP commissioner Rajneesh Goyal initiated the campaign of waste segregation. But barely had the initiative taken wing, than he was shunted out. His successor reverted to the old method of dumping in landfills.
As for the 198 corporators, they are clueless about any solution to the city's stinking crisis.
Finally I conclude with a few media reports!
BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana said ..., `100 crore has been allotted to Bangalore for dealing with the garbage menace. The BBMP will use the amount to set up waste processing units, he said....the financial crisis faced by BBMP will be resolved soon.
We can now set up processing units and other facilities for waste disposal,” .....
BBMP Solid Waste Management Expert Committee member N S Ramakanth said the announcement comes as a relief to BBMP, which is facing a financial crunch.
(My cynical mind hopes that it is used well without the leakages we see in most projects!)
A paper by the BBMP commitee 'A future with NO LANDFILLS'
The Expert Committee wishes to submit to the Honorable High Court of Karnataka a short note defining its vision of Zero Waste to landfills, designed to eliminate the practice of sending unlimited trash to landfills and incinerators. The crisis in Bangalore in August 2012, wherein the KSPCB ordered the Mavalipura Landfil to temporarily stop accepting waste to enable site cleanup.
It is totally a listing the many 'Lacks' in the system. And the recommendations submitted to the High court by BBMP expert committee. One can only hope.
And an act of bravery: When a citizen contests BBMP Chief's claims in the court
Nalini Shekhar, Co- founder of Hasirudala, an NGO that has formalized waste pickers submitted to the court that some of their team members and a resident of an apartment had become the victims of goondaism, in five areas - Whitefield, Marathahalli, Bellandur, HSR Layout and Bannerghatta.
Nalini told the court that it would take two to three months to train the residents how to segregate the waste. She said, “Once we start operating the system, the contractor creates problem.” In one instance, the NGO’s waste collecting vehicle was hi-jacked. She also complained to have received life-threatening calls from the contractors and goondas. On approaching police, they refrained from filing the case, “as an MLA was involved in it,” added Nalini.
The vehicle was released after negotiations with the contractor, she added. She informed court that in the past, Hasirudala tried working together with the contractors but their methods of working wouldn't match, hence they could not work together. In this regard, the court asked the State Government Advocate Pratibha R to ask the government how to deal with the rowdy elements in the society.
The segregation of solid waste was prescribed on the basis of the recommendations of the Expert Committee as well as in pursuance of the directions issued by the Supreme Court in more than one case. Accepting the said Rules, it is submitted the authorities throughout the country have spent considerable amount in educating the citizens of this country the need to segregate the waste at source. In Bangalore, sufficient money is spent by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike by way of advertisements in Press, in electronic Media and even by holding public meetings. In fact, to store segregated waste, places are selected in each ward and provision is made for collection of dry waste and removal of dry waste once in three days and transportation of the same.
At this juncture of time, without any reason, justification or complaint against this well established system, curiously, in the 2013 Rules, Schedule-II is deleted giving an impression that it is not obligatory any more to segregate the waste at source.
It is a clear case of misreading the order. It is in that context, the court wanted to know the reasons.”
The High Court's 24th October order modifies the earlier order of 11th October and allows the Ministry to “...proceed to consider the objections and then prepare yet another draft rules and thereafter they shall place it before the court.” But it has directed that the Ministry “..shall not give effect to 2013 Rules in the light of the observations made above” and without “scrutiny” of the High Court. (Emphasis supplied.)
Bangalore, Sep 1, 2014, DHNS:
The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to open garbage processing units at nine places across the City at the earliest. .. also wanted the BBMP to rope in corporate houses ......
The commissioner also said ....(Plot) owned by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), would be handed over to the BBMP .....
When told that this site has been encroached upon and several illegal structures have come up there, the court directed the BBMP and the BDA to clear the encroachment and then take possession of the property.
There you go! While it is frustrating to see way things are moving in Bengaluru, I was happy to see Pune aiming at zero-landfill. Pune is my second home town!
Mar 31, 2014 | From the print edition
Pune aims to become a zero-landfill city by 2015. With .. options like localised biogas plants and composting facilities, .... door-to-door waste collection and segregation, the target does not seem too ambitious. However, the city municipal corporation needs to ensure it does not fall into the trap of easy answers .....
Bengaluru, on the other hand, is forced by a high court order to do what Pune is already doing. But due to shoddy implementation, the city is still drowning in waste. Bengaluru is making the right moves in managing waste, but these are foiled by a nexus between contractors and politicians
Here is hoping that the great garbage saga ends with good news and Zero Landfill is a reality.
And it is interesting to know what is happening elsewhere. The review of the book is an eyeopener.
Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash – August 29, 2006 by Elizabeth Royte (Author)
Out of sight, out of mind ... Into our trash cans go dead batteries, dirty diapers, bygone burritos, broken toys, tattered socks, eight-track cassettes, scratched CDs, banana peels.... But where do these things go next? In a country that consumes and then casts off more and more, what actually happens to the things we throw away? In Garbage Land, acclaimed science writer Elizabeth Royte leads us on the wild adventure that begins once our trash hits the bottom of the can. Along the way, we meet an odor chemist who explains why trash smells so bad; garbage fairies and recycling gurus; neighbors of massive waste dumps; CEOs making fortunes by encouraging waste or encouraging recycling-often both at the same time; scientists trying to revive our most polluted places; fertilizer fanatics and adventurers who kayak amid sewage; paper people, steel people, aluminum people, plastic people, and even a guy who swears by recycling human waste. With a wink and a nod and a tightly clasped nose, Royte takes us on a bizarre cultural tour through slime, stench, and heat-in other words, through the back end of our ever-more supersized lifestyles. By showing us what happens to the things we've "disposed of," Royte reminds us that our decisions about consumption and waste have a very real impact-and that unless we undertake radical change, the garbage we create will always be with us: in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we consume. Radiantly written and boldly reported, Garbage Land is a brilliant exploration into the soiled heart of the American trash can.
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A note from Srinidhi, the blogger:
I had not chosen the option of getting an email for a comment posted on my blog.
So, it was a pleasant surprise to read this comment from while I was compiling my post on the Garbage Saga. A few had read my blog, but receiving one such nice comment felt good!
Re-reading this blog makes you wonder! He used to say there were issues which needed to be tackled at a very different level in the country! His latest write up he sent me focuses on what a citizen can do! I remember our help to segregate our garbage properly, she would respond okay I will do it. How will you stop them mixing it. If you want go and check what they do when they transfer to a bigger truck!
I am all admiration for Ramakanth to have kept trying in spite of all the problems!
Garbage saga. This one shocks. Is this what we are?
Monday, January 5, 2015
In my previous blog on the 'Garbage Saga', while focusing on one Individual I wrote about the situation in Bengaluru and also about the challenges worldwide. This subject deserves a lot of attention and there are books written about the 'Garabage Challenge'. One such book is at http://www.royte.com/blog/ Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash:
The blog, in a nutshell, was about the well-entrenched mafia and the continued effort by a group of very committed individuals who work at different levels using various means to break this monopoly. They try to educate, motivate, coax and even shame people involved. The latest was to involve the high court by filing a PIL. While we keep our hopes up, the garbage menace continues especially in our area, namely Kumara park.
In our conversation Ramakanth had mentioned about a collection centre near the children's play area in K P East. And I stumbled upon it as I took a walk to the area to see the yearly event, the chitra santhe, the painters market.
The pictures speak for themselves and my question is again, 'What kind of people are we?' We steal space from children's play area to install a Garbage collection centre! But more shocking is the way the play area is maintained. Also my grand son would call it weird, if he discovers that the park next to the play area is locked up after 11 am and is open only in the evening for some reason!
It becomes utterly shocking if you walk a little ahead and turn either left or right. You see the Gandhi Bhavan on the right. I bet Gandhi would have gone on hunger strike if he had seen this abominable play area.
Chandrika said...
Very sad indeed! With all the brain power at our disposal, why can't we Indians come up with a solution to handle the garbage? The even sadder part is that, we humans, are bent upon ruining our own beautiful planet! What a legacy to leave for our children!
Rohini said...
Very sad! What can be done? That is the question.
Raghu said...
The operative line is "What sort of people are we?"
Sunday, January 11, 2015
An update on the war on garbage.
Recently there were two events in which N S Ramakanth, aiming at Zero Garbage, went personally to help the organizers of the events and was very successful.
He was happy that at Chitra Santhe where he taught the volunteers on how to take care of the garbage, nothing went from the event to the land fill.
‘’’’’Another was the Vaikunta Ekadasi at the Kote Srinivasa temple: I quote from the letter he wrote to the Muzrai commisioner:
"This year we achieved zero waste management on the Vaikunta Ekadashi day where nearly 1 Lakh devotees had darshan of the lord from morning 3am to 2.30am on the next day. Due to segregation about one rickshaw load that is about 3/4th ton of food waste along with pure paper plates were sent for composting at Jaynagar plant. Next day about half truck load of flowers from temple/lords decoration (about 1.5 tons) also sent to Jayanagar compost plant next day. All this credit should go to CEO and the other temple authorities and last but not the least credit also should go to young and energetic Muzrai Commissioner who gave me full authority to give instructions to the staff. A word of appreciation also should also be given to the local corporator Mr Ganesh who was always ready to help me in carrying out my task."
The letter also details the many steps that are to be taken:
To The Muzrai Commissioner.
Madam,
Sub: Immediate steps to be taken to make Kotai Srinivasa Temple zero waste.
About 8 to 10 baskets should be placed around the temple to preserve all flower rejects and Tulsi leaves. Once in a week every Monday arrangements can be made to send all the reject flowers to Jayanagar compost plant till your plant is ready.
Prasad distribution - If they use plantain leaves they should be preserved in a separate bin and sent to cows as feed.
On Mondays reject flowers sending to the Jayanagar plant can be arranged through the local corporators to whom the undersigned has already informed.
Some lacunae found at Kotai Srinivasa temple on the Vaikunta Ekadashi day on 1st
January 2015
After the Prasad was distributed at exit sufficient bins with black garbage bags should have been placed at regular intervals along the fencing. Bins can also be chained to the fencing bar so that to avoid theft.
We had kept one waste picker per shift, from next year we must keep two persons per shift once we have our own composting plant we can send all the waste to the plant. c. All reject flowers should also be sent to the compost plant.
Another letter which aims to make all temples in Karnataka adapt zero waste policies :
General procedures to be followed to make all temples in Karnataka a zero waste
Plastic should be banned, instead paper or cloth bag can be utilised. A nominal penalty about Rs.10 can be collected if any violation is found.
Flower/ Fruit/ Coconut vendors around the Temple should also not use plastic bags. Instead cane basket or plastic basket which can be reused should be used. The vendors can charge a nominal refundable deposit which can be returned after the basket is returned, they should be properly regulated by having 2 to 3 home guards posted around the temple. Controlling the shoppers around the temple can be done by the CEO’s in consultation with local corporators and the BBMP authorities. The undersigned is ready to help in this regard.
Type of waste produced in each temple with the waste generated daily/weekly/ monthly and quantity also should be asserting.
Flower rejects and Tulsi thrown out after the pooja also should be quantified weekly/ daily.
Kitchen waste/ food waste / prasadam waste and other organic waste can be measured and quantified.
Disposables like plastic plates/ styrofoam plates/ cups/ donnes should not be used to distribute Prasad or food, instead only decomposable leaf donnes / pure paper plates / areca nut / plantain leaves should be used.
Separate baskets may be placed for depositing used flowers/ Tulsi in temples.
A letter should be written to the local BEO’s to spare some volunteers (NSS or NCC) during special occasions, necessary voluntary badges can be given to them.
Segregation of dry/ wet organic waste should be made mandatory and separate bins should be placed for the public in different parts of the temple.
Arrangements should be made either to compost or convert it to biogas at the earliest. Biogas plants or preferable wherever free food is distributed to the devotees regulary. Thanks & Regards,
Your Faithfully,
N S Ramakanth
Member SWMRT
Expert Committee Member BBMP (Nominated by GOK) as per High Court Order
Technical Committee Member DMA
Mobile No:9341250158
Saturday, April 4, 2015 THE Garbage war!
The war waxes and wanes like the moon. This one is about Kumara Park West and East. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday
. No darshan of garbage at the front of our house, the designated place by the residents and the paurva karmikas who collects from our houses. We are resigned to seeing the segregation that takes place and the vehicle which comes to pick up! The segregation is not to separate the wet waste from the dry waste as they are supposed to do, but to pick up items of value which can be sold. Then they are mixed up again.
Later I took a walk towards Madhav Nagar about 4 minutes away on google map. But it takes a little longer due to traffic and the STUMBLE for SURE pavements!
I had blogged earlier about the Park at the Kumara Park East how BBMP had occupied the children's playground. This is in Madhav Nagar, in front of one of our oldest parks. I have played here as a kid!
While my friends N S Ramakanth and Meenakshi Bharat soldier along valiantly, we need to be vigilant and make sure we don’t slide back to old days!
We steal a playground from children to put a garbage collection centre. Dump broken trolleys in front of another park just ONE MINUTE away. Why are these trolleys dumped there? Could they not have been repaired? Who designed such trolleys, which are a struggle to pull on the roads. And so flimsy that they break in no time?
