This refers to the article "SMC plans to curb littering habit of Srinagarites" (GK 23 July). It is a welcome step and must be appreciated. Though SMC should have done this long back, yet it is never too late to mend. The SMC understands that its work doesn't end here. The next step, which is as important as the first one, would be to regularly collect the waste from the bins so that it doesn't land up on roads. This might need a better collection mechanism than what is currently available. The collection could be done alternately, or even twice a week should be fine, with SMC trucks doing rounds in the collection area. SMC must set timelines for the distribution of the bins to all the rest of the households in the city and also start a campaign through media to educate the citizens on how important it is to keep the city clean. I agree with the commissioner that unless the civic sense is developed, the objective of cleanliness can't be achieved. SMC would have to play a role in developing that civic sense. It must collect a penalty fee (could be nominal) from those households who damage or lose the bins. This would ensure the bins are taken care of. Government can also think of providing the compost producing kits to each of the household. This is not a bad idea and this would ensure all the degradable waste (like vegetable waste etc) is decomposed and used as compost in the household itself. This is in fact already started in certain places in India like Bangalore. This would also reduce the collection of waste by SMC and hence make their work easier.

Yaqoob Bashir Qadri
Bangalore
yaqoob_bashir@yahoo.co.in

Lastupdate on : Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
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