The Karnataka high court has given a series of directions on the handling and management of municipal solid waste generated in Bangalore. This was triggered by a PIL of the Bangalore-based NGO Environmental Support Group's (ESG) challenging the order of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board of October 25 that temporarily extended authorisation to operate the landfill at Mavallipura.
The board had earlier revoked the closure order of the Mavallipura landfill of July 11. In addition, ESG's PIL had also sought directions to enforce progressive ways to manage Bangalore's garbage, based on a model of decentralised administration and segregation of waste at source.
The principal bench of the High Court has issued a series of orders.
It has passed an order making it mandatory to segregate waste at source. It has directed that all municipal waste in Bangalore be segregated at source (at the household level), and be transported in that manner to composting and recyling units and no mixing whatsoever will take place in trucks, as is the case at present.
The court has directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and the government to ensure that “segregation and wet waste processing stations shall be located and made operational in the 28 Assembly constituencies within two months” from the date of the order. The court sees “this as the first step to be followed immediately by similar Segregation and Wet Waste Processing Stations, in each of the 198 Wards in Bangalore”. It has directed that “this exercise (is) to be completed within four months” of November 22.
The court has also directed that “every ward should have at least three segregation and wet waste processing stations”.
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The HC has also given a fresh lease of life to the Karnataka Compost Development Corporation, which for decades has composted and vermi-composted the city’ waste.
The state government had left this organisation to flounder for direction, and the order now revives this agency.