BBMP launches citizen participation programme to keep city clean

Bengaluru: Calling for people's participation in maintaining cleanliness in the city, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta on Wednesday launched BBMP-recognised Citizen Participation Programme at Puttanna Chetty Purabhavana.

Under the new system, zonal/constituency/ward level coordinators will take support from block volunteers and work with ward level solid waste management (SWM) officials. They will track performance on segregation, Sahaya complaints and penalties levied on offenders. They will also monitor the performance of SWM units in the ward, identify gaps to conduct training sessions.

At the block level, you will have Shuchi Mithra who will take inputs from lane volunteers & work with the auto drivers, supervisors, link workers, and marshalls. They will watch and report on the door-to-door collection, carry out information and awareness sessions on 3-way segregation, track the black spots in the block, and take responsibility for the Citizen Participation programme at the block level.

Further, you have block volunteers whose primary responsibilities are to inform block volunteers, watch and report on the door to door collection and promote 3-way segregation.

Together, the program is a cohesive citizen-focused initiative that depends on their civic responsibility to make the city a cleaner place.

Junior observers and marshals in BBMP limits are working towards improving the waste management system, said BBMP Chief Commissioner. A new organisation for solid waste management has also been constituted and BBMP will work through them.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice Subhash B Adi, Chairman, NGT State Level Monitoring Committee for Solid Waste Management, (SWM) Karnataka, "Bengaluru accounts for 50 per cent of the entire Karnataka's waste, amounting to 90 lakhs tonnes". He emphasised the role of citizens in improving the city and the need to reduce waste that can only be sent to landfills.

It is important to create awareness among citizens on segregating the waste. Most of the waste produced in the city is being disposed of in landfills, he noted. It is a crime to dispose of the waste in landfills, he said. This also pollutes the environment and hence it is important to take strict measures to dispose of waste at the source, he noted.