Another move to make Bangalore zero garbage city

Civic authorities in Bangalore and the Indian Tobacco Co (ITC) Monday launched a pilot project to make the Karnataka capital a zero garbage city.

The project, being implemented in 10 of Bangalore's 198 wards, involves encouraging people to segregate at source wet and dry waste and engaging rag-pickers to segregate waste if not done at source.

The project is the latest initiative of the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike or Greater Bangalore City Corporation), which has been under fire over the continuing garbage mess in the city.

The ITC has joined hands with the BBMP as part of its "wealth out of waste" prorgamme, which the company says it has initiated to create sustainable livelihood for rag-pickers and civic workers.

The launch coincided with the third anniversary of National Recycling Day.

Launching the project at Basavanagudi in south Bangalore, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy urged Bangaloreans to segregate waste at source as that was the best way to solve the problem.

He noted that the city, which has a population of nearly 10 million, daily generates about 5,000 tonnes of waste and only with the cooperation of the people the disposal problem can be tackled.

Reddy, who is also minister in-charge of Bangalore, said the zero garbage project would be extended to another 20 wards soon and gradually to the entire city.

Reddy assured Bangaloreans that the Congress government in the state and the Bharatiya Janata Party-controlled BBMP would work together to tackle the problems faced by them.

BJP general secretary and Bangalore South Lok Sabha member H.N. Ananth Kumar appealed to Bangaloreans not to throw waste anywhere and cooperate with the civic body to keep the city clean.