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BMP Health Department The 100 wards of the BMP are divided into 294 Health Wards. These are grouped in three zones - East Zone, West Zone and South Zone. The main responsibilities of the Health Department are:
The Health Department is headed by a Deputy Commissioner (DC) Health. Garbage Collection The BMP pays Rs. 5.40 crore per month to private contractors for clearing and transporting the city's 2,200 tonnes of waste under the Swachha Bangalore Programme. This programme is for the segregation at source and door to door collection of domestic and commercial waste. The program focuses on increasing citizen involvement, improving solid waste management infrastructure, and building the capacity of the employees of the solid waste management department. The Hindu reports that the BBMP is on the verge of introducing a revamped solid waste management system by spending Rs. 390 crore for the next three years. Garbage is collected through a door-to-door collection system. Other garbage is also generated when roads, footpaths etc.. are cleaned. The seeping of streets is carried out by pourkarmikas of BMP in 112 health wards, while the cleaning in the remaining wards is contracted to private contractors. Bulk generators of garbage, such as hotels, kalyana mantaps, private nursing homes etc. have to dispose of the waste that they generate in an appropriate manner. 20% of the city's waste goes to composting. Mechanised garbage processing soon The Time of India in a report dated 16th June 2006, reports that the BMP approved a resolution on garbage tendering, which falls under the purview of health department. This resolution and subsequent work were supposed to have been started a year ago. The term of the old contractor ended in June 2005. Because of the year-long delay the cost of the project has escalated from Rs 38 crore to Rs 90 crore. You may read the full story here. Solid waste management cess The BMP started levying a solid waste management cess on citizens, with effect from January 2006. Presently, the BMP has identified two places for scientific landfills, at Mandir and Mavallipura, both offering space to the extent of 100 acres to 200 acres. Global solid waste management experts recommend that Bangalore should have a separate area for wet weather only, so that in the monsoon months, disposal of garbage does not become a casuality like last year. In addition, recommendations have been mooted to have designer landfills which also double up as parks. The president of the International Solid Waste Management Association, N C Vasuki, based in Delaware in the US, has recommended to the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, BMP, that the landfills be massive areas so as to have buffer zones which cover up the waste generated by the city. More information about Ms. Vasuki, who is a Kannadiga, is available at this location. Please also read another thought provoking article by him, entitled "The Entire Earth Is Our Back Yard". Please refer to the BMP Health FAQ for answers to the following questions:
ACTION PLAN: If you notice any problem in your locality or neighbourhood w.r.t. any of the above, please immediately take action as indicated above OR please contact BangaloreGiri. One of our volunteers will try to work with you to resolve the issue.
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