The Karnataka government has told the Supreme Court that it has taken steps for the implementation of comprehensive solid waste management action plan under Swachh Bharat Mission for ensuring waste segregation at source, systematic door-to-door collection, setting up of dry waste collection centres, development of waste processing and disposal facility and awareness creation.
There are 279 urban bodies in the state and detailed project reports of solid waste management have been prepared for 278 of them, it said.
The Karnataka Municipalities Model Solid Waste Management byelaws-2018 have been published on July 10 and the objections and suggestions have been invited from the public on the draft solid waste management state policy and strategy, an affidavit by the government said.
Under the draft byelaws, every waste generator, including the bulk ones, would be required to segregate solid waste at source into the categories of bio-degradable waste (wet), non-bio-degradable, domestic hazardous, construction and demolition, bulk garden and horticulture and e-waste. Spot fines would be imposed on litterers.
It has been proposed that sanitary waste such as napkins, diapers, tampons would be securely wrapped in pouches provided by the manufacturers and all such waste would be stored with domestic hazardous waste.
Bulk waste generators like educational institutions, colleges and ladies’ hostels would have to ensure that rules are strictly complied with and sanitary napkins are not disposed of in drainage or sewage systems. Green, blue and red colours have been assigned to bio-degradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste, respectively.
A minimum of one dry waste collection centre for each town panchayat, two for each town municipal council, three each for city municipal council and five each for city corporation would be set up.
The solid waste which cannot be processed in any of the methods would be disposed of in a landfill in a scientific manner. The urban local bodies shall strive towards a goal where no solid waste shall be disposed of in landfills, it said.
Under the byelaws, markets managed by agricultural produce marketing committees shall ensure that bio-degradable waste is processed through compositing or any other method approved by the Karnataka State Pollution Contral Board. They have to hand over non-bio-degradable waste to collection vehicles of the local bodies after paying user fees, the government said.
Littering in public or vacant property will be prohibited. Social gathering shall ensure segregation of solid waste at source and handing over of the waste within 24 hours of the event.