The BBMP has set October 1 as the deadline for citizens to start segregating garbage. It is hoped that this will reduce the dependence on landfills, but this can only happen if the segregated waste is properly disposed of by the BBMP by composting the wet waste and recycling the dry.
As yet, there is no evidence that the BBMP has measures in place to deal with the segregated waste. While citizens have to take their dry waste to the few collection centres set up for the purpose, the BBMP has assured that the wet waste which it will collect will be composted. But it remains unclear where and how. The BBMP says that the wet waste will go to the landfill for compost.
What sort of landfill is this that can create compost? Moreover, landfills currently in use already have a mix of waste, from paper, plastic, glass, kitchen waste and, sometimes, medical and e-waste too If the BBMP is to collect segregated wet waste from October 1 it must have provisions to turn this into compost which can be used. To just dump the wet waste in existing landfills is self-defeating given the trouble the city has had with landfills, and identifying and creating new landfills might not be possible. Clearing the existing landfills within the October 1 deadline does not seem a possibility either as the BBMP has not started work in this direction. Moreover, the dry waste will have to be further sorted. Some waste that has a value and can be reused or recycled will be picked up.
What about the dry waste that has no value? The BBMP will have to ensure that the dry waste collectors and transporters do not dump the non-usable waste in ways that create more environmental and other problems. For dry waste to be sorted, it must be decided who does the sorting and where. The process will require constant monitoring to ensure that waste is not sorted on footpaths and the useless waste is not dumped in public spaces.