Mysuru: “Keep your garbage at your house only” will be the stern measure the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) plans to implement, if people do not segregate wet and dry waste at their homes.

In a strict warning to the citizens, the MCC has decided not to collect waste if both wet and dry waste is put together.

Former international cricketer Javagal Srinath who has been appointed as brand ambassador to the MCC had read out a oath on World Environment Day, asking people to segregate wet and dry waste as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. In the light of this, the MCC has prepared a micro plan to solve the problem of waste segregation.

According to this plan, the officials of the MCC will visit each and every house and create awareness about wet and dry segregation. In three months, the people should make it a habit to implement this idea. If they do not bother to separate the waste, in the second stage they have to pay a fine. In spite of this if they ignore, then in the third and final stage, they will be told “Keep your garbage at your house only”.

Every household should compulsorily segregate the waste and hand it over to pourakarmikas who come to collect garbage. The MCC has plans to regain the ‘Cleanest City in India’ tag.

Creating awareness through Micro plan

It may be recalled that Mysuru had bagged the ‘Cleanest City in India’ tag twice consecutively and was hoping to complete a hat-trick this time. However, it slipped to the fifth spot.

Without the co-operation of the people, no plan can be successful. According to the micro plan prepared by the MCC, it plans to introduce the programme in all the nine zones and in each ward. Before implementing this plan, including the Pourakarmikas, the Environmental Officers of each zone, Health Officials and Assistant Commissioners have been given training.

If the wet and dry waste is segregated at source, the dry waste can be sent for recycling. Thus, the huge accumulation of garbage dumped in open spaces will reduce. The wet waste will be sent directly to manufacture compost manure. This will help in giving subsidy to farmers, said MCC Commissioner G. Jagadeesha.

Some of the old auto tippers have been repaired recently. Three tippers in each ward is not sufficient. A proposal has been sent from the Corporation to the government requesting for 100 more tippers, he said.  

Social commitment

The people should have a social commitment to segregate the waste. To create awareness in this regard, the micro plan will be implemented in all the 65 wards. If this plan becomes successful then by 2018, Mysuru could regain the top spot in the Swachh Sarvekshan. People’s co-operation is absolutely essential to achieve this goal.

“There is shortage of Pourakarmikas in the Corporation and the government is likely to give its assent to appoint 500 of them shortly. Once the permission is given then the problem is going to ease. I have taken the proposal, which was lying neglected, since two years seriously and send it to the government.”—G. Jagadeesha, Commissioner, Mysuru City Corporation.

Working women’s problems

However, a few working women speaking to Star of Mysore, said, “The effort of the Corporation is very noteworthy. It is also true that unless citizens co-operate nothing much can be achieved.

But, these days many women go out to work. They leave home early in the morning. When we keep the garbage outside, the pourakarmikas do not come most of the days.

Meanwhile, the stray dogs will pick up the garbage bag and by the time we return home in the evening, the garbage will be strewn all around. Some concrete measure should be taken to help women like us.”