NAGPUR: From December 15, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will collect only segregated waste from homes.
Municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B on Saturday issued directives to the solid waste management department (SWMD) and the two private firms AG Enviro and BVG India, which are engaged in door-to-door collection, not to lift mixed garbage. The move was initiated after NMC slipped in the recently declared Swachh Bharat ranking from 18th to the 23rd position.
There is, however, no provision to levy fines for not following the rule. If operators continue to transport unsegregated garbage to Bhandewadi, they will be fined Rs 100 for each trip. Citizens found dumping garbage will be penalised as per SWMD rules.
As per NMC, bio-degradable substances like fruits, vegetables, leaves and flowers, and kitchen leftover are wet waste and plastics, paper, glass, metals, aluminium foils etc dry waste.
The civic body has appealed to citizens to keep red bins for diapers, sanitary napkins, battery cells, paint cans, chemical sprays, disinfectants, empty medicine bottles used for children and the elderly at home. “This will be collected separately,” said SWMD nodal officer Dr Gajendra Mahelle.
Earlier too NMC had announced such a plan. “It could not implemented as there was no segregation at source even though garbage vans were customized to collect dry and wet garbage separately,” said Dr Mahelle, adding that sanitary workers, employees of the two firms and citizens had not followed orders then.
Dr Mahalle said the firms have already launched an awareness campaign in all the 10 zones. “Residents must keep bins at homes for dry and wet garbage. The firms will have to ensure they are collected separately and transported to Bhandewadi,” he said.
On the likely increase in dumping of waste in open places, Dr Mahalle said, “The SWMD team and nuisance detection squad will penalise such citizens.”
On December 3, the NMC had warned AG Enviro and BVG India to dump only segregated waste at Bhandewadi dumping yard or be penalised. Dr Mahalle also said that arrangements for dumping wet and dry wastes have been made at Bhandewadi. The city generates around 1,100 metric tonnes of garbage which includes 60% wet and 40% dry waste.
