Representational Pic
Nagpur: In an effort to promote segregation of dry and wet garbage, and tackle the rising garbage disposal issues, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will distribute two dustbins each to about 5.5 lakh households in Nagpur. A green bin will be used to collect wet waste and blue one for dry garbage.
Meanwhile, Kanak Resource Management (KRM), the garbage collection agency appointed by NMC got busy preparing a fresh strategy to handle the segregated garbage seamlessly and efficiently.
The civic body will spend Rs13.64 crore to purchase 11 lakh dustbins of 11-litre capacity each. The proposal was approved during the NMC’s general body meeting on Monday.
Following the central government’s directives to collect segregated garbage from June 5, NMC’s health department has submitted the proposal to provide two dustbins each to citizens to segregate wet and dry waste.
The union urban development ministry issued the notification and fixed prices for the dustbins. The government gave two options — either NMC could approach it to procure the dustbins, or the civic body could procure these on its own.
“Around 40% of our garbage collection trucks and vehicles have separate containers for carrying dry and wet waste. We are in the process of refurbishing the remaining vehicles in the same manner, and hopefully all our vehicles will be equipped with two garbage containers before June 5,” said Kamlesh Sharma, project head at KRM.
The department had prepared three options for implementation of the notification. In the first NMC would provide 11 lakh dustbins to all 5.5 lakh households or shops, which will cost Rs13.64 crore. The second option was to provide only one dustbin, at a cost of Rs6.82 crore, and ask property owners to purchase another. NMC was also given the option of providing free dustbins in slums only, which would have cost Rs4.94 crore.
Additional municipal commissioner Ramnath Sonawane informed the House that NMC has already geared up to implement the proposal. According to him, the private firm entrusted in lifting garbage will provide separate vehicles to lift wet and dry garbage. He said NMC has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a consortium of two companies — Essel Infraprojects and Hitachi Zosen India — to start waste-to-energy project.
